UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Post

Peace Volunteers discuss NPR's Throughline podcast about current events and history to practice active listening and intercultural exchange. Meetings happen on Mondays at 8PM EST and Wednesdays at 12PM EST on Zoom - contact us for more details or to join. This week's Throughline episode is entitled, "Affirmative Action." "This conversation was recorded ahead of the Supreme Court's expected decision on affirmative action. As of publishing, no decision has been issued. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on affirmative action sometime this month. Most of us understand that some colleges use race as a factor in college admissions. But journalist Jay Caspian Kang argues that this focus is too narrow, and that it avoids harder conversations we need to have as a culture. In his view, focusing on the admissions practices of a select few universities creates "a fight for spots in the elite ranks of society" — and blinds us to the bigger problems plaguing American democracy. On today's episode, we talk with Kang about affirmative action's origins in the civil rights era, what it does and doesn't achieve, and what a more equitable education system could look like." Listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/ea34t2Bk #podcast #discussion #intellectualhumility #internationaleduation #peacebuilding #community #history #NPR #throughline

In the wake of recent affirmative-action rulings, conservative groups are launching assaults on programs that address racial inequity. From diversity fellowships to aid for disadvantaged small businesses, these rulings threaten progress for all. By co-opting the rhetoric of colorblindness, racial progress is stalled. We must reject these regressive tactics and continue advocating for true equity and justice for all. #RacialEquity #JustSocieties #DemocracyforAll https://lnkd.in/gGmSjWVt

Creating a culture of continuous learning, is important for any organization, but even more so for one dedicated to #healthequity and #healthjustice. Such an important read. Thanks Sharonne Hayes ! WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

#diversity #equity #inclusion #backlash #journalism 'Harvard's Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project is hosting a webinar to debunk myths about DEI and help journalists understand and ask more probing questions about the issue.'

In a compelling article in The New York Times, Nikole Hannah-Jones delves into how the ideal of colorblindness, once a beacon of civil rights, has been twisted to obstruct racial progress. She highlights a systematic effort to dismantle civil rights gains, showcasing how Supreme Court decisions have often sided with so-called reverse discrimination, using colorblindness to ignore the unique history of racial disadvantage. "Race-based affirmative action has died. The fight for racial justice need not. It cannot." I invite you to check out the full article for a deeper perspective.

NPR's Fresh Air takes a closer look at the organized nationwide attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in education, business and government, and the immediate and long-term impact. Listen. 28 mins. https://lnkd.in/gVUKd5eE

Want to understand how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are essential for modern libraries? Or how to create an efficient DEI program? Explore our blog post to get the answers and see how libraries like Clemson University Libraries amplify voices that need to be heard. ⬇️

Powerful concluding thoughts to an important article: "To meet the moment, our society must forcefully recommit to racial justice by taking lessons from the past. We must reclaim the original intent of affirmative-action programs stretching all the way back to the end of slavery, when the Freedmen’s Bureau focused not on race but on status, on alleviating the conditions of those who had endured slavery. Diversity matters in a diverse society, and American democracy by definition must push for the inclusion of all marginalized people. But remedies for injustice also need to be specific to the harm. So we, too, must shift our language and, in light of the latest affirmative-action ruling, focus on the specific redress for descendants of slavery. If Yale, for instance, can apologize for its participation in slavery, as it did last month, then why can’t it create special admissions programs for slavery’s descendants — a program based on lineage and not race — just as it does for its legacy students? Corporations, government programs and other organizations could try the same. Those who believe in American democracy, who want equality, must no longer allow those who have undermined the idea of colorblindness to define the terms. Working toward racial justice is not just the moral thing to do, but it may also be the only means of preserving our democracy. Race-based affirmative action has died. The fight for racial justice need not. It cannot." https://lnkd.in/eyTbm_zT

If you want to understand why so many companies are turning a blind eye to their DEI programs and practices or only instituting them for show, take the time to read this article.

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