RACISM

Why Some White People Treat Diversity Like an Evil Villain

They see no benefit to diversifying schools, businesses, or communities.

AI-generated image of students sitting in the cafeteria | photo created by the author in CANVA

There is no way to sugarcoat the anti-civil rights movement unfolding in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision to ban race-based affirmative action policies. What may have seemed like one decision pertaining to college admissions was symptomatic of a much broader effort to portray diversity as a villain in American society, complete with a swivel chair and maniacal laughter. For instance, conservatives introduced at least forty-five bills to block diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in state legislatures this year. Sadly, there hasn't been enough pushback on the notion that diversity is some blight on the American social landscape. Why does the word "diversity" send shivers down the spine of some White Americans?

There are numerous studies suggesting White Americans collectively oppose diversity programs, each shedding a little more light on the reasons why. For instance, while some suggest the hair-pulling over diversity programs is the result of opposing identity politics across the board, Rabinowitz et al. (2009) indicated that "opposition to racial policies incorporated an explicitly racial component" and did not reflect "a blanket rejection of…