I'd like to discuss one particular cultural characteristic and share some of my recent thoughts and experiences on the true significance of race. In my work as a diversity educator, I often present ideas about the definition of diversity from a U.S. perspective, a definition that changes with the social and political climate. I present a circular model of human characteristics to describe the Association of Research Libraries' broad definition of diversity. In the center of this pictorial representation are equity issues. And though I understand the centrality and deep historical context of race in the U.S., many perceive it as an uncomfortable, even unsafe, topic for public discussion and choose not to move beyond the more general concept of diversity.
Race is an incredibly volatile subject.
We, as a nation, want to believe that our playing field has been leveled and that it is time to put our discrepancies behind us. We want to start with a blank slate. Meanwhile, our societal memory lives. Some know that this critical examination of self and group are necessary for healing. Some believe that overt racism has merely converted to covert racism, making it even more difficult to identify and push back against oppression.