Accountability: Federal Research Grants Should BeTied to Diversity Outcomes

摘要

This article calls for the reexamination of diversity as itpertains to the historical people of the United States. Italso outlines a plan to intentionally align federal fundingawards with diversity goals.People of Color. We see this everywhere. Who is thisdescribing? Are there people who have no color? Even whiteis a color. Hardware stores carry white paint. Are we theonly country in the world, besides South Africa, that usesthe term “color” to distinguish a group of people? There arecharacteristics of individuals that do separate populationsand impact their career paths: access to resources, qualityschools, a safe neighborhood, drug habits, modes of dress,culture [1]. By looking at a person’s color, can we ascertainthese characteristics? Nonsense. “People of color” is a termthat is now used to group together populations that havelived in the United States for generations as well as thosewho have recently arrived in the country. It is a sort ofwhitewash. Recent immigration patterns have brought inmany different cultural/ethnic groups. Blending these newpopulations into American society has not always workedwell. Being the only ethnic/racial minority in a classroomcan lead to discrimination, as so many recent immigrantshave found.