2019 Conference Blog-Day 1

Opening Keynote Address. Race & Identity: Why It Matters

Cole CERPP 2019 presentation

Darnell Cole, University of Southern California

Dr. Cole opened up CERPP Conference 2019 with his presentation: Race & Identity: Why it Matters.  The presentation began with Dr. Cole setting ground rules, noting that while he is going to “try to not push your buttons, but some of the things we talk about might push buttons”.

When that happens, he advises, “take two deep breaths and think about how you want to engage”.  He wants to engage us in having conversations–the right kind of conversation–that gets us to the outcome that we want to see. Dr. Cole continued by describing his background and upbringing, noting that he is more than “just one thing” and emphasizing that when you are talking about race it is important to know each other, then engage.

Dr. Cole continued with a look back to 2009 when we had the first black American as president and Justice Sotomayor was appointed to the Supreme Court. He asks, “Did these steps mean the conversation on race is done? Have the issues of race quelled themselves and quieted?” Meanwhile, the news and articles related to the issues of race on college campuses continue. Dr. Cole highlighted an article from 2017 that describes an incident at Cornell. The article pointed to another 10-15 issues in September alone.

Dr. Cole describes a “cascade of flyers” on college campuses, one that was a call to join a white supremacist group. Making the college campus a recruitment ground for white supremacy. It is troubling that the social institutions in our country that argue that our goal is to educate–is now being seen as recruitment grounds for white supremacy.

In 2015, Dr. Cole continues, at the University of Missouri protests were held across campus related to racial discrimination. Dr. Cole points to an article in Inside Higher Ed (9/10/2018) in which counselors were more inclined to accept a-political black students rather than those who are involved in activism. Thus, despite the indicators in 2009 of progress related to race, race most definitely still matters.

From there, Dr. Cole outlined ten reasons why racial diversity on college campuses is crucial for all students.

The first five reasons are “the classics”:

1. Our nation is changing and our higher education institutions need to reflect this diversity.
2. While communities of color have made great strides in closing the education gap, disparities in higher education remain prevalent.
3. It’s in our national’s best interest to invest in our future workforce.
4. Diversity in the workforce fosters innovation and competitiveness in business.
5. Fortune 500 companies agree that diversity is good for the bottom line.

Five reasons are on the “new frontier”:

1. The surge of activism have forced colleges to reckon with what comes before and after admissions. We see protests happening, new alliances created. Colleges and universities are being seen as lightening rods. You can almost predict the issues that will be hitting them.
2. Our nation is changing and our higher education institutions need to reflect this diversity in discourse, nuance, and positionality (power)…. And yes, race is still central. Institutions play a critical role in changing discourse and a responsibility to engage multiple discourses and perspectives.
3. Democratic Outcomes (Includes: more motivated and better able to participate in an increasingly heterogeneous democracy, and understand and consider multiple perspectives). *See Cole Presentation slides above for additional elements

The last two items, “are on you”, according to Dr. Cole. He emphasized the importance of involvement and one’s own perspectives. He warns that everyone in this room is a “gatekeeper to the next generation”. Your professional responsibility matters and you have positionality power. You matter, as does your positionality as a professional. With this in mind, Dr. Cole asked the audience to discuss with the following questions amongst themselves:

• What are your reasons?
• And how do you communicate those reasons in the age of social media?

After several minutes of discussion, participants in the audience shared the outcomes of their discussion and Dr. Cole closed the presentation.

Darnell Cole is an Associate Professor of Education with an emphasis in higher education and education psychology. He is the co-founding director of the Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice. His areas of research include race/ethnicity, diversity, college student experiences and learning. Professor Cole received his MA and PhD at Indiana University, Bloomington. He has published over 40 articles and book chapters and is featured in major journals for higher education and related fields such as Journal of Higher Education, Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, Journal of Classroom Behavior and Journal of Creative Behavior.