AS MUCH as certain critics complain about the pervasiveness of multicultural programs at the University, it seems as though a student could easily forget that February is Black History Month.
Although organizations such as the Office of African-American Affairs have sponsored a variety of events to promote African-American culture over the month of February, Black History Month has been largely ignored by the University community. That is why programs such as last Monday's "Connecting Communities: African-American History at U.Va.," act as an example of initiatives that are vital steps toward making the University a more multicultural institution. Administrative organizations must encourage programs such as this as part of an ambitious multicultural education program if the University is to truly give all of its students an equal educational experience.
"Connecting Communities" addressed this issue by examining the history of the African-American's role in the University. While "Connecting Communities" portrayed the progress of African-American inclusion at the University, it also highlighted the continued marginalization of minority perspectives.
While "Connecting Communities" did examine the extreme intolerance surrounding the Daisy Lundy attack and the racist vandalism of Amey Adkins' car, it also examined the much less discussed issues of cultural exclusion at the University. As it pointed out, students from minority cultural backgrounds tend to have a less positive view of the level inclusiveness at the University.
This contrast is reflected in a 2003 study by the University's Office of Institutional Assessment and Studies, that is cited in the "Connecting Communities" presentation. This study stated that only 43 percent of African-Americans were satisfied with race relations at the University compared with 70 percent among the wider student population. Moreover, 44 percent of African-American students were satisfied with the sense of community at the University, compared with 68 percent of other students.
These statistics indicate that the University is divided along ethnic and racial lines. The implication of this division is that when the survey asked the question "Given the chance to do over again, would fourth year African-Americans choose U.Va?" 21 percent of fourth year African-Americans said they would not compared with 11 percent of other students.
While this indicates that the culture of exclusion is deeply ingrained in the University environment, there are certain steps that the administration could take that would increase the level of cultural inclusiveness on grounds. First, the University could reform its first-year orientation programs to incorporate more hard statistics about the alienation of cultural minorities on grounds. Once this is accompanied by the other aspects of first-year orientation that already present the viewpoints of cultural minorities, incoming students will be able to better understand each others cultural perspectives.
While augmenting the first-year orientation programs could play an important role in increasing cultural inclusiveness at the University, the administration must go further if the environment at the University is to be significantly improved. To this end, the University must allocate greater resources for programs that are already working to educate students in fraternities, dorms and CIOs, about the history and current experiences of ethnic minorities at the University.
As Jade Smith, coordinator of the "Connecting Communities" program adds, "Publicizing and funding efforts like Slave to Scholar tours, Connecting Communities and U.Va. black history research projects that students take on could help what we already have become more available to the larger student body."
Although some students have been vocal advocates of these sort of reforms, there are still many who believe that the idea of multiculturalism encourages racial separatism and anti-individualism. Although these complaints hold some validity against the most extreme forms of multiculturalism, they are not fair criticisms of the mainstream efforts to increase cultural inclusiveness.
First, so called racial "self-segregation" thrives when large segments of the student body feel excluded from the life of the University. Indeed, as Smith states, "One can understand, for example, why students might separate themselves into groups when students had organizations and beliefs meant to socially exclude the first non-white male students who came to the University. Seeing how historic social patterns continue can help students come together to figure out how to break them, as individuals in their own lives and as a community."
In addition to this, cultural inclusiveness does not encourage ethnic conformity but is instead a vital component of respect for individuality. Indeed, if cultural inclusiveness is not valued, students must look exclusively to people from similar ethnic background for understanding. Thus, without cultural inclusiveness, students are not welcome to all University organizations and are forced to primarily define themselves by along lines of race and ethnicity.
With all of this in mind, the University clearly has very compelling reasons to promote cultural inclusiveness through programs such as "Connecting Communities." Hopefully the University will do a better job of encouraging such programs, and next year Black History Month will represent a chance to promote cultural understanding and affirm cultural heritage, and will not represent a forgotten foot note and lost opportunity.
Adam Keith is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. He can be reached at akeith@cavalierdaily.com.
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