My blog from last week explained that I believe that we are each in our current life situation totally due to luck. Please check it out if you have not read it already. Here is some really good news about the role that luck plays in our lives . . . You Can Be Someone’s Luck. No, you can’t change the circumstances that they were born into. But, there are many ways … [Read more...] about You Can Be Someone’s Luck
Equity
That’s Me
Following years of reflecting on the matter, I believe that we are each in our current life situation totally due to luck. I am lucky I was born a white male in the USA. I am lucky that I was born to my parents who – though not well off financially – were college educated and caring, loving people. I am lucky to have been born with a healthy body. I am lucky to have … [Read more...] about That’s Me
Traffic Stops & White Privilege
This is a true story. A few years back I was driving home one evening after teaching a graduate class at the University of Maryland. It was a November evening at about 10:15 p.m. and I was less than a mile from home when a police car appeared in my rearview mirror with its lights flashing. ME: I was confident I had done nothing wrong. I thought “Hmmm, maybe my … [Read more...] about Traffic Stops & White Privilege
Inclusion, Diversity, & Merit
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts are not fully understood by many people. This, along with the politicization of the topic, has led to significant pushback in recent years. One misunderstanding is that Diversity efforts are intended to hire women and people of color into jobs regardless of their qualifications. This is incorrect. While fears of “reverse … [Read more...] about Inclusion, Diversity, & Merit
The Inadvertent Racist
I have been an Inadvertent Racist. Maybe you too? A few years ago, the Governor of Virginia got in trouble for having appeared in a college activity that included people in blackface. I commented to some African American friends that I did not understand the problem. They kindly suggested that I do some research. Wow. You can read more here, but blackface was used by … [Read more...] about The Inadvertent Racist