The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is recognized as one of the greatest speakers of the 20th century. He championed for equality by focusing on how nonviolent action could bring change, an end to racial injustice and a movement toward racial equality. Moreover, one of these areas needing improvement was higher education.
So, as we reach the 50th anniversary of that speech, we are left to wonder what King would have to say about our progress in equalizing opportunities in higher education through diversity initiatives and other efforts. While we may not know for certain, here are some points that would likely have him talking.
Diversity initiatives in the early 1970s to now
A study conducted by Peter L. Hinrichs, a Georgetown University assistant professor of public policy, looked to determine the measures of segregation in higher education based on comparisons of the number of White and Black individuals in the student body. Not surprisingly, Hinrichs found that desegregation efforts increased diversity most notably in the early 1970s.
During that time, it was common for colleges and universities to openly recruit minority students as part of the larger segregation efforts associated with the progress made by the civil rights movement. However, over time, many of these practices fell out of favor. This has led to many institutions of higher learning to become less diverse over time, incidentally.
While King may have found these statistics disheartening, it is important to interject some key points. First, many college students choose to attend schools near their homes. Since populations are not evenly dispersed through the country, some regions will show college student bodies with makeup similar to the surrounding area regardless of other efforts.
