Diversity dialogue addresses racism, politics, poverty, and privilege
In what Assistant Dean Chris Ciotti called “a comfortable and safe place for an uncomfortable conversation,” scores of Harvard faculty and administrators gathered Thursday morning to discuss racism, sexism, LGBTQ rights, politics, white privilege, and economic equity as part of the FAS Diversity Conference “A Decade of Dialogue.” And while one speaker said that “the world needs Harvard to become a leader” in fostering an inclusive environment, keynote speaker Tim Wise noted that institutions everywhere are increasingly examining whether they foster or impede climates of belonging — because, he said, since the 2016 elections, “the deep divisions that were always there [in American society] are more apparent.” “What does it mean when conservatism in the modern era is not just, ‘I would like my taxes to be lower and businesses to have some deregulation,’ it’s actually a debate about the fundamental humanity of certain people and whether or not they’re going to...