Maria Elena Baca, apparently a columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, whis Quote of the Day honors today for her obervation that “Diversity is what makes each of us who we are….”
An organization called Mindworks sent a questionnaire to students asking:
What is diversity? Does your school or neighborhood have people who are different from one another? Do those differences matter to you or to your friends? Why or why not? Do you have a friend who is different from you? If so, describe that friend.
About 1,800 students statewide responded. They generally agreed that diversity is what makes us different….
Hmmm. And here I was thinking that difference is what makes us diverse. But the more I think about it, the more I think the Minnesota students are correct. Diversity does make us different, because all its emphasis is on difference.
You know, you always hear the empty phrase “unity in diversity” bandied about by diversity “experts,” but what about turning it around? Shouldn’t the proper sentiment be “diversity within unity”? That would seem to be a better recipe for a multicultural society.
That works. Or maybe the preferentialists could propose a new multiculturalist motto: E Unum Pluribus…
Up here in St. Cloud, MN, we’ve put up our answer. I’m going to have to use E Unum Pluribus.