Our diversity is our strength

In biology, the absence of diversity is death. If you only have one kind of corn — and disease, pestilence, or weather conditions are adverse — you run the risk of having no corn at all. 

This straight-forward approach to the strength of diversity was underscored by Professor Asa Hilliard of Georgia State University.

Hilliard’s extensive research has taken him around the globe to the Pacific Rim countries and the Pacific Islands, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. For several years he focused on those areas where diverse cultures live together, examining their interactions and dynamics.

“In multicultural settings, culture is not a problem,” he stated emphatically. All his research demonstrates that “There are no inherent problems in diversity.” He indicated there are thousands of areas in this world where members of different cultures coexist without any strife or difficulty. 

In fact, his studies demonstrate that harmony is the natural human condition. And more to the point: Someone has to orchestrate trouble.

It’s an interesting and important premise, and runs counter to much of the “prevailing wisdom” that young people must be taught to respect the culture of others. According to Dr. Hilliard, respect comes naturally. If there are problems, it’s because young people have been taught to fear, mistrust, or hate.

He argued that diversity is an asset that presents possibilities for enhancing the school experience for educators and students. The critical role is that of minimizing the possibility of manipulating differences for negative gain.

Another university professor articulated the same concepts from a different angle. “We are human first, and everything else is secondary,” he stated. “That which unites us as humans is much more compelling than anything that divides us.”

In California schools, diversity is an ever-increasing fact of life, and in this sense we are a microcosm for the country. It is imperative that our schools use their diversity in a positive and beneficial manner for the sake of members of both the minority and majority cultures. As Hilliard said, “If it doesn’t happen here in California, it won’t happen in America.”

Throughout Santa Barbara County schools efforts are continually underway to celebrate diversity in all its forms, and to insure the harmony and understanding we all know are critical to our future. We invite members of our community to join us in this important quest by serving as models for their children and their neighbors.