The Dark Truth
As a preemptory statement (this is not part of the article), I would like to tell both Jacob Cote that Mr. Brooks would have been welcome to quote me in his article. For the most part, I agree with what MR. Brooks posited in his article, “Red Ink: BU’s Lack of Black Students Feeds a Vicious Cycle.” I must say, however, that the correlation Mr. Brooks attempts to establish between the gender imbalance of this school and interpersonal relationships is extremely fallible at best. While I would personally contend that black females are much less tendentious towards interracial dating than their male counterparts, I, like Mr. Brooks, have no evidence to substantiate such a claim. Furthermore, I am inclined to believe that no such evidence exists, as there would likely be far too many Black females who both support and engage in interracial dating. Though, in Mr. Brooks’ defense, I reiterate that people, whether or not we choose to acknowledge it, do seek and comfort, however one chooses to define the term, in the racial groups to which they belong. It is why, for example, bi- or multiracial students often encounter difficulty in developing childhood interpersonal relationships.
Whether we individually choose to acknowledge the truth or to cling to romantic and unrealistic perceptions of contemporary society, the fact remains that, with regard to diversity at Boston University, there is a crisis of a sort which warrants both immediate and lengthy evaluation. Perhaps, it even warrants, as we are wont to avoid, some criticism. That is to say, as Mr. Brooks concluded, that BU is, in fact, at “‘a loss’ for the lack of a ‘vocal black student body.'” As to the role BU’s diversity—or lack thereof—plays in the decisions of prospective students to or not to apply to or attend BU, I must once again assert the importance of distinguishing that which is from that which is hoped to be. While we hope, for the most part, that students are intelligent enough to look beyond “superficial diversity” as a determinate of attendance, such is not the reality. I, for one, can attest to having considered the “‘vicious cycle’ of low black turnout” in my personal college decision-making process. I am not alone. Every minority high-school senior I know has questioned the diversity at BU. Unfortunately, many either have abandoned or will abandon their interest in Boston University after learning the facts. Which brings me to one of the issues on which Gabrielle Kelly wrote in her letter, “African Americans Don’t Need Same Race to Feel Comfortable”: she stated, “…it will be hard to encourage more African American students to attend our school when we present it so negatively”. Quite frankly, unless you are Adolf Hitler or a member of the KKK, there is no way to present a lack of diversity positively. When studies continue to demonstrate that Blacks and Hispanics have a lower level of educational attainability than whites, any lack of diversity represents either a failure on the part of an individual institution or the entire educational system to fulfill its obligation to the social contract: that is, to assure the equity and universality of societal progression. In a larger context, it is important to note that there is absolutely nothing wrong either with searching for people of the same race or with pursuing diversity. Neither, might I add, is it wrong to factor such issues into a college decision. It is quite normal for students to seek out students of the same racial, national, ethnic, or religious background. Numerous literary texts have been written on the subject: Beverly Tatum’s Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, Piri Thomas’ Down These Mean Streets, and, one might argue, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun—to name but a few. All seem to indicate that, contrary to what Mr. Cote would like to believe, it is human nature to pursue some sort of familiarity in a foreign or new place; that, furthermore, that familiarity most often manifests itself as racial similarity for people.
Alas, the attempt on the part of Jacob Cote to discard and discount currently extant racial issues is but part and parcel of a rapidly progressing trend of retrogressive conservatism in this country. It began with the advent of political correctness and today manifests itself with such naïve statements as “students should continue to be drawn to Boston University for its rigorous standards, top-notch professors and wide-ranging curriculum.” One of the paramount purposes of any higher-education institution is the facilitation and encouragement of human interpersonal growth. Students, administrators, and faculty all agree that such a goal is utterly intangible without racial (and, perhaps, religious) diversity. In his book, David Forsythe writes, ” Racial diversity necessarily lends itself to variation in opinion, ideology, custom, and practice, which, in turn, engenders the sort of interpersonal growth that, as stated earlier, is paramount to any institution of higher education. Unfortunately, rather than acknowledge the aforementioned positive side effects of racial diversity, the vast majority of this country seeks, as Mr. Cote and Ms. Kelly, to ignore the dark truth.