Opening the book…
Solving the Diversity Dilemma
Get involved in student clubs and organizations.
Moraine Valley has over 40 active student clubs and organizations. Many of these clubs center on a specific culture or shared experiences. Some examples include the , Alliance of Latin American Students, Muslim Student Association, Arab Student Union, Black Student Association, Christian Fellowship, G.A.S.P (Gender and Sexuality Progress), and the International Women’s Club. These clubs and organizations regularly hold campus events to introduce students to their cultural histories and practices. Attend a club meeting or event and get to know some of the participants. Ask the Student Life office how you can become involved.
Be open-minded.
Have conversations and ask questions of students/instructors whose racial, ethnic, religious, cultural, and class backgrounds are different from yours. Moraine Valley Community College is an exceptionally diverse environment. There are over 170 international students from over 40 countries who attend this college. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn about the food, music, hobbies, and family life of other people. What you learn can only broaden your view of the world and the people in it.
Display courage.
There will be times when you will be in a room with people who make inappropriate jokes or derogatory comments about others. These may be racially insensitive remarks, disrespectful statements about women, homophobic comments or signals, or similar acts. While it may be difficult to call out friends and family who commit these acts, your courage is necessary. Do not laugh, smirk, join in, or nod your head. Doing any of these things will only provide encouragement to the speaker. Expressing dissatisfaction about acts of intolerance sends a message that you do not need to demean others to make others laugh or have a good time. Your display of courage sets a tone of intolerance for discrimination and could inspire someone else to do the same.
Acknowledge holidays.
The United States observes several religious and ethnic holidays every year. Most of us are familiar with mainstream holidays such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Memorial Day, and Christmas. But there are other cultural holidays that are not as well-known such as Eid, Juneteenth, Rosh Hashanah, and Indigenous Peoples’ Day. These carry tremendous cultural significance and provide great opportunities to learn about other people. Learn about these days and others and compare them to the rituals and histories of the holidays you observe.
Educate others.
As you learn about others who are different than you, and about stereotypes that are not true, take the time to educate others around you. Very often, individuals who are minorities exert a lot of energy and time to educate other people about the obstacles they face. It is therefore critical that you, as an ally, relieve some of this pressure by choosing to be a voice to educate your family, friends, and others.
Equality vs. Equity
Society should be structured in a way that allows everyone equal opportunity to succeed. However, challenges are presented in how society should address equal opportunities for everyone. Equality is defined as the quality or state of being equal. Essentially, equality is giving everyone the exact same opportunity to achieve a goal. While adequate on the surface, a deeper look into our societal norms may show that equality is not suitable for equal success.
Take for example two elementary school students, a first grader and sixth grader, in a foot race. The sixth grader is naturally bigger and stronger than the first grader, and as a result, much faster. In a show of equality, the teacher places both students at the same start line to begin the race. As you might guess, the sixth grader wins every time. In fact, the sixth grader wins by an average of 10 yards. Frustrated, the first grader states that the race is not fair because of the physical advantage of the sixth grader. The teacher responds, “Both of you start from an equal position and run the same distance.” This is an example of equality, but to the first grader’s point, is it fair?
Not long after, the teacher decides to make a change. Rather than pursue equality, the teacher seeks to institute equity. Equity is defined as dealing fairly with all concerned. The teacher moves the first grader’s starting point up ten yards. As a result, the races are more competitive, with the first grader winning some of them. The first grader now has a fair opportunity to win the race regardless of the advantages of the sixth grader. Such an example highlights what it means to have a society that is equal versus equitable.
Figure 8.2 Equality vs. Equity
The image above illustrates the difference between equality and equity. On the left, everyone has the same size box to stand on. However, equal size boxes will not work for everyone because the person on the far right is shorter than everyone else. Although he has the same size box, he still will not be able to reach the fruit in the tree. In the picture on the right, the height of the boxes is adjusted to ensure that each person can reach the fruit.
This page titled 8.3: Solving the Diversity Dilemma was last modified on Fri, 22 May 2026 02:20:05 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by .
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