Shaping our celebration of racial integration

I’m looking forward to the activities and programming that will note the 50th anniversary of the first black students at Duke. The Chronicle’s Nov. 27 report on the plans, “Duke will conduct a yearlong celebration to honor 50th anniversary of racial integration,” indicates that many have already dedicated time and talent to planning this “yearlong celebration.” However, one aspect of that news story leaves me with some strategic concerns.

In my judgment, the measure of the anniversary project’s success will depend on the active engagement and leadership of diverse administrative, student and student-services communities. Of course we should anticipate that those with nominative interests in black students and/or black culture will be prominent participants. If those are the only voices we hear from, however, we’ve lost the opportunity to model the principles we claim to celebrate. In fact, one opportunity to articulate a principled practice of diversity is already lost with the institution’s support of BSAI weekend. It’s an irony that the anniversary of our desegregation will be celebrated with a contemporary version of segregation. Although it is disappointing that the BSAI weekend decision no longer has an opportunity to be shaped by a community’s principles rather than political expediencies, I sincerely hope that the rest of the anniversary plans manage to avoid that disappointing paradigm.

In my judgment, a community that values diversity and inclusion might best articulate these values by shaping a celebration that will depend on, anticipate, name and encourage a diverse community of celebrants. If we start from that premise, we might see a Duke that mirrors the event it celebrates.

Karla F. Holloway

James B. Duke Professor of English and professor of law