2014-10-30
Thinking about diversity
In the USA, 1 in 3 black men will go to prison at some point in their lives. These odds are 1 in 6 for Hispanic men and 1 in 17 for whites. The statistics related to death-penalty are similarly biased against black and Hispanic males. This overall backdrop of racial injustice is very visible at the academic level:
In the face of this reality, if justice and solidarity is truly the motivation, we should be putting the bulk of our diversity time & effort on increasing the numbers of blacks and Hispanics, especially males. When all the visible efforts are directed at increasing women participation alone, which is often the case in academia, given the numbers above, we are ultimately working more to help members of the most privileged groups in the US: white and Asian people (how many women in computing are not white or Asian, for instance?)
I do not intend to offend anyone, nor even to change people's minds. But maybe the numbers above can help us think about the tremendous lack of racial diversity we face in campuses, and bring about a discussion of how to approach diversity from a more inclusive and fairer standpoint.
- While blacks and Hispanics constitute about 13.2 and 17.1% of the US population (there is class overlap), they represent 10.3 and 8.8% of bachelor's degrees, 12.5 and 7.1% of Master's, and 7.4 and 5.8% of doctoral degrees.
- Moreover, the numbers above are biased against black and Hispanic males. The percentages of degrees attributed to black students who are male: 34, 29, and 35% for BS, MS, and PhD, respectively. For Hispanic males: 39, 36, and 45%.
In the face of this reality, if justice and solidarity is truly the motivation, we should be putting the bulk of our diversity time & effort on increasing the numbers of blacks and Hispanics, especially males. When all the visible efforts are directed at increasing women participation alone, which is often the case in academia, given the numbers above, we are ultimately working more to help members of the most privileged groups in the US: white and Asian people (how many women in computing are not white or Asian, for instance?)
I do not intend to offend anyone, nor even to change people's minds. But maybe the numbers above can help us think about the tremendous lack of racial diversity we face in campuses, and bring about a discussion of how to approach diversity from a more inclusive and fairer standpoint.
2014-10-16
I go La La La
I'm covering my ears like a kid, When your words mean nothing, I go la la la. Meu bem, meu Zen. Music for catching up on work. Pior do que o meu canto, há de ser o meu silencio. There’s truth that lives, and truth that dies. I don’t know which
So never mind. I live among you well disguised.I love myself (One day at the time, sun gon' shine).
Labels: Music
