Diversity, Students and Panelists Agree, Is Key to Progressive Democracy
Roosevelt Institution sponsors conference on diversity in the policy-making process
Gia Wakil
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: News
It is a rare occurrence for a roomful of opinionated students and political activists to unanimously support a particular belief. But on Friday, March 28, the 60 attendees at "Race Matters: Diversity for a Progressive Democracy" witnessed just that, as a consensus emerged regarding the crucial role diversity plays in enhancing our democratic state.
The conference was sponsored by the Roosevelt Institution along with several prominent organizations, including the Center for Social Inclusion, the Drum Major Institute and the Applied Research Center. By exploring the barriers to participation in policymaking, and how a lack of diversity can have adverse consequences for concrete policy outcomes, students, legislators, community leaders and activists came together to discuss the relationship between structural racism, policy and institutions.
"We're here to explore the issue of diversity in public policy: how our government policies affect communities of color and how they take race-or fail to take race-into consideration," explained Nate Loewentheil, director of the Roosevelt Institution. Historically, he said, public policy has both implicitly and explicitly deprived minorities in this country, and this concept, known as structural racism, was the focus of the event. "We need to be more aware of these barriers that face the most marginalized members of our community, bring those to light, and to, particularly for this conference, talk about how public policy can help those people," Loewentheil said.
Maya Wiley, executive director of the Center for Social Inclusion, spoke to students about the paradoxical attitudes surrounding race. Although public policy has clearly disadvantaged members of the black community, Wiley noted that "a conversation about race is not a conversation that America wants to have." She frequently referenced the upcoming presidential election and how Sen. Barack Obama's potential nomination is exposing true social views towards race.
The conference was sponsored by the Roosevelt Institution along with several prominent organizations, including the Center for Social Inclusion, the Drum Major Institute and the Applied Research Center. By exploring the barriers to participation in policymaking, and how a lack of diversity can have adverse consequences for concrete policy outcomes, students, legislators, community leaders and activists came together to discuss the relationship between structural racism, policy and institutions.
"We're here to explore the issue of diversity in public policy: how our government policies affect communities of color and how they take race-or fail to take race-into consideration," explained Nate Loewentheil, director of the Roosevelt Institution. Historically, he said, public policy has both implicitly and explicitly deprived minorities in this country, and this concept, known as structural racism, was the focus of the event. "We need to be more aware of these barriers that face the most marginalized members of our community, bring those to light, and to, particularly for this conference, talk about how public policy can help those people," Loewentheil said.
Maya Wiley, executive director of the Center for Social Inclusion, spoke to students about the paradoxical attitudes surrounding race. Although public policy has clearly disadvantaged members of the black community, Wiley noted that "a conversation about race is not a conversation that America wants to have." She frequently referenced the upcoming presidential election and how Sen. Barack Obama's potential nomination is exposing true social views towards race.
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