Here’s Why Public Funding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts Is Needed
By: Martin Ruck
Tags: Racism, Cuny Graduate Center, Diversity And Inclusion, Sexism, Higher Education

Graduate Center, CUNY students attending a science poster session at the GCs Advanced Science Research Center. The ongoing challenge of addressing the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the critical need of diverse and inclusive leadership across all institutions and sectors.

Over the past four years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve as senior advisor for diversity and inclusion to two Graduate Center, CUNY presidents and two interim presidents. If I’ve learned anything in this role it is that commitment to work that can root out systemic racism and other forms of discrimination in higher education ebbs and flows. This often isn’t reflective of ideological commitment to the work, but of a lack of financial resources, time, knowledge and, quite frankly, fortitude.

Transforming entrenched academic systems and human interactions for the expressed purpose of ending discrimination and inequities is hard work without a timetable or clear pathway. In fact, it is a goal that this country hasn’t been able to accomplish in its 243-year history. But as news stories illustrate every day, the need to succeed in this work is urgent. It demands a sustained effort and commitment that last far beyond the incidents that sparked our outrage, and it necessitates the full investment and support of individuals, institutions and government at all levels.

Like many academic institutions, The Graduate Center community was shocked and affected to its core in the wake of the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the nationwide protests that followed. In response, our leadership has been endeavoring to support the work of faculty, students, and staff to develop a framework that can positively transform the culture of our institution by creating safe spaces for dialogue and action and reviewing our policies and procedures to ensure that they advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’ve been digging deep in our conversations and wrestling with the most effective way to help all members of our community recognize the systemic nature of anti-Black racism, and ultimately commit to being anti-racist as individuals and through their engagement at the institutional level.

Having the proper resources to fund this work is crucial, but it is particularly challenging for public institutions to secure and dedicate these funds in the face of state budget crises that have been brought on by the pandemic. The challenges were compounded this past September when the White House issued its polarizing and deceptively named Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping. Since the implementation of this order, universities across the country have been struggling to determine a direction forward for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, which are genuinely working to dismantle centuries of sexism, racism, and other forms of institutional discrimination that dampened the success of too many of our brightest minds and hurt society as a whole.

Overturning the Trump administration’s damaging order should be an immediate priority for President Elect Joe Biden’s administration come January, and Congress and the New York State legislature should also dedicate budget resources to help public universities implement robust diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. These programs are not ancillary, but necessary to shore up the foundation of our academies and our democracy.

Support for diversity, equity, and inclusion work should not be delayed until the economy improves because such efforts will ultimately help us address the systemic barriers, racist beliefs, and discriminatory practices that are fueling both the pandemic and the polarizing politics of the moment.

Martin D. Ruck is a professor in The Graduate Center, CUNY’s Psychology and Urban Education programs. His scholarship examines the process of cognitive socialization at the intersection of race, ethnicity, and class.