Celebrating a Diversity of Diversity on Campus

 

For eight years I have been a member of the James Brister Society, which celebrates and advocates for diversity on the University of Pennsylvania campus. I am glad to have so many ongoing ties to my alma mater, and JBS events are always among of my most cherished and insightful in any given year. 

Diversity on campus, and in this country, are of course increasingly contentious things to define, push back on, and fight for. What I have appreciated about Penn, and about JBS, is the recognition of the diversity of expressions of diversity on a campus like Penn's. Which sounds both logical and clunky, but hear me out.

For starters, I particularly dislike when "diversity" is treated in a monolithic sense, narrowing it in a way that makes it easier for some to attack and others to uphold, but in a way that does a disservice to the topic. Which is ironic, since the whole point of diversity is that we are different and should celebrate and accept that, and yet too often we take the easy road and homogenize things to the point of fluff.

So what does diversity of diversity on campus mean? From the student's perspective, as discussed in JBS events and with Penn leaders, it means that there are lots of avenues for people to pursue what diversity means to them. For example:

* Some are eager to find "their people," and are glad for organizations they can join and feel accepted and celebrated

* Some are eager to use their time at Penn to explore a wider spectrum of perspectives than they were previously exposed to and themselves can directly access, and are glad that diversity-celebrating organizations are inclusive of the curious (e.g. Black attendees at Asian events)

* Some are eager to probe points of intersection, for purpose of education and advocacy, and are glad that Penn's historically inter-discplinary culture extends to its diverse organizations (e.g. Latino and LGBTQ+ groups coming together to process current events)

* Some are from historically under-represented groups but don't want their college experience to be defined by that aspect of their identity, and are glad to be supported as they devote their scarce time and resources to their primary goal of going to college which is to get an education and a degree

Penn is large and well-resourced, so perhaps it feels easier that there are an abundance of groups and platforms for its students to explore. But it still does take effort to be this thoughtful and thorough, and I applaud its administrative leaders and its student groups for creating the setting where a diversity of diversity can be celebrated. Yet another reason I am #ProudlyPenn!