As graduate after graduate describes the value realized from one course, one professor or one lesson, the reader senses optimism for the future.
“We recognize hope when we see it,” the editors say in conclusion. “And we see it shining brightly in this collection of chapters that present pedagogies about the teaching of differences within and between human groups — more commonly known as ‘diversity.’”
One of Brunson’s students at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington for instance, describes how she opened up in candid discussions on culture, identity and gender. Now, she says, “My classroom work and heavy group interactions led me to my current career as a recruiter. Every day I speak with people from all walks of life from all over the world.”
A Florida A&M University alum from the Netherlands, now a travel consultant in Monaco, reflects on how her professors enriched her mind after “I found out I was ‘White’ from school forms. I never had a color before in the rest of the world.”
Numerous examples of lessons and approaches in a wide range of disciplines leap from the text by Brunson, Jarmon and Lampl. Brunson is an associate professor at UNC-Wilmington. Jarmon is the chair in social work at FAMU, and Lampl is a cultural anthropologist and organization development consultant in Tallahassee, Fla.
— Angela P. Dodson is the former executive editor of Black Issues Book Review and a former community college instructor.
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
