Multiculturalism, Diversity, and African American College Students

Abstract

Diversity in higher education is a systematic blending of academic programs, recruitment, retention, policies, and curriculum that provide college students with an enriched multicultural environment for learning. Among those who administer, teach, and conduct research in higher education, there is a general consensus that diversity is a necessary component of a well-rounded education. Future college graduates will face not only a diverse American society (Population Reference Bureau, 1997) but also an interdependent world that is highly divergent in terms of race, ethnicity, nationalism, language, and culture. These future politicians, business leaders, scholars, and caregivers will need to know how to think critically, how to engage effectively in intercultural communication, and how to work productively within this diverse society. In spite of all the promotion for multicultural education, there is growing concern that college students are resisting diversity and multicultural educational programs. There appears to be a widespread rejection of the objectives of diversity and the usefulness of it. White college students are rebelling against diversity because they believe that it is an anti-White, preferential system that favors the needs of students of color (Gomez, 1992; Lopez, Holliman, & Peng (1995). There is also evidence that students of color, especially those attending predominately White colleges and universities (PWCUs), have less than positive attitudes toward diversity. These