My first meeting with Bill Cox and Frank Matthews was quite memorable. Held at the 1984 Conference on Higher Education at MIT. It was soon after the decision was made to tackle the shortcomings of both journalism and academia by launching a new publication. Black Issues in Higher Education. In the best spirit of American entrepreneurship, they identified a need and filled it. They highlighted the underrepresentation of black people in institutions of higher education across the country. Because established media chose to ignore this reality, Cox and Matthews set out to fix the situation, undeterred by the structural and cultural obstacles that stood in their way.
Black Issues in Higher Education Academia is faced with the unpleasant but undeniable reality that higher education is complicit in supporting an intentionally segregated and unequal society through a variety of policies and practices. The mirror the civil rights movement held before America reflected the moral contradictions that had to be faced within a system designed to train the nation's future leaders. It was no small task to ask them to advertise to support the financial stability of this fledgling publication and maintain journalistic integrity and publishing standards while challenging the university's operations and values.
During the 40 years that the Cox-Matthews team carried out its mission, the social and political environment was changing and uneven, and much less progress was realized within academia than had been expected. I would characterize these 40 years as follows:
1984-1994 – Restrained acknowledgment of America’s racial problems
At a glacial pace, historically white universities enrolled a carefully limited number of black students, often hiring a black administrator or two to oversee this new clientele, and African American studies courses became peripheral within academic domains. procedure. Black Issues in Higher Education We presented a series of stories highlighting the ineffective efforts of institutions across the country, sending a clear and direct message to academia that it is time to live up to the values of inclusion and fairness we champion.
1994-2004 – Institutional coordination and active inaction
Affirmative action was expected to result in significantly larger numbers of African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans as students and faculty at historically white colleges and universities. However, by the beginning of the 21st century, these groups were dramatically underrepresented compared to their proportion in the overall population. Because conservatives have succeeded in giving the term “affirmative action” a negative connotation, the phrase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been used to describe and promote processes that increase access and participation for people in marginalized communities. Cox and Matthews began the planning process to change the publication's name to: Diversity: A Problem in Higher Education Expand the focus to include other underrepresented groups in addition to African Americans.
2004-2014 – Reorganization and internal modifications
Universities have become more aware of the factors that negatively impact people of color and women within their institutions. Expanded curriculum offerings and research methodologies provided the impetus to revise the racist and patriarchal framework that had defined the Academy from its inception. Appointing a chief diversity officer establishes a high-level official who helps develop strategies and approaches to promote DEI, which is often stated as an institution's goals and values. Diversity: A Problem in Higher Education Taking advantage of the technological advancements of the era, daily information sheets were developed to create an electronic counterpart to the printed format and ensure timely updating of components.
2014-2024 – Onslaught of revisionism and conservatism
Although right-wing zealots are attacking the academy for its liberal stance and values, the academy has held conversations about its internal operations. By the late 20th century, racism and discrimination were accepted as social norms across the country in institutions of higher education. Intellectual legitimacy was granted by the refusal to address these practices despite their contradiction with national ideals of freedom and justice for all. Conservatives have been marshalling their financial and political clout in an effort to return higher education to a time when people of color were underrepresented at historically white colleges and universities. Diversity: A Problem in Higher Education It recommitted the company to holding higher education at a higher standard so that it can effectively address the needs of an increasingly pluralistic society.
It is fitting that the new leadership includes Will Cox and Maya Matthews Minter, descendants of the publishing company's founders. They plan to continue the mission established by their father to improve the enterprise of higher education and make it more responsive to the interests and concerns of the entire population, especially individuals from underrepresented communities. For the next 40 years we Diversity: A Problem in Higher Education It will be as innovative and impactful as it has been in the past 40 years.
Dr. William B. Harvey served as a Distinguished Scholar at the National Association for Access, Equity, and Diversity in Washington, DC.