Political Activists Have Used Diversity as a Politcal Tool

To the Editor,
It was on the April 15 back in 1947 that Jackie Robinson shattered the color barrier in baseball, giving the sport of baseball its first taste of diversity by race. We have become a very diverse nation in many ways since 1947. However, over the decades some political activists have used diversity as a political tool or weapon centering on race and gender. But diversity is much more than that, and it should be given credibility only if ability and competence are at its very core. Diversity for diversity’s sake won’t make our nation better if standards are lowered and incompetence is accepted because of “historical disadvantage.” A richer variety of backgrounds will not automatically make a company, school, or organization better unless equal output is expected…not equal outcome.
And if less is expected of minorities, like lowering test scores for blacks, the whole diversity movement simply becomes an artificial, condescending attempt by progressives to make numbers reflect society by bypassing rungs on the ladder of upward mobility. So as our nation continues to become more diverse, let’s not lose sight of something more important than diversity…competence.
A past president once said, “Our diversity is our strength.” That is true only if we believe that diversity is second to ability and self-initiative. Desired diversity is the kind that is not based on gender or race but on ideas, logic, presentation, ideals, dreams, hard work and qualitative common sense goals. And such qualities are not the sole intellectual property of any one race or gender.
JIMMIE L. HOLLIS
Millville