This year the University of Kentucky has more African-Americans enrolled than ever before in its history. Making great progress. Right? Beacon of diversity in the learning institutions.

Not necessarily. The campus newspaper "Kernel" published a cartoon depicting an auction of slaves. Why? What was funny about it? Who drew it? Who approved it? That information did not reveal itself in the version of the story I read. Whatever the reason, it was caused a campus uproar. Hate epithets have appeared on at least one African-American student's door.

Hanging nooses, cartoons? Has there been a white sheet buyout at the campus bookstores? Are cone hats back in demand?

These students are the future. The employment base. The workforce. The leadership. They are THE WORKPLACE. What the Hell can these deviants drawing hate cartoons and fashioning nooses be thinking?

Four post-civil rights era generations have now been struggling for and against diversity. The generation, the baby boomers, who lived through the civil rights violence and accomplishments of the 60's, are on the threshold of retiring. They are now grandparents and great-grandparents to their children's children. They were the first to see black/white drinking fountains stripped from the landscape, the first to see the defeat of black/white marriage taboos, and many other firsts.

Diversity in the workplace means we as a society have ascended mountain after mountain in striving toward this goal . One idiot with a piece of rope or a sketchpad can set back the tremendous progress made. Amazingly, however, the supporters of diversity has exploded into a formidable army of people of every color who refuse to let the idiots take back what has been so hard to win.

Diversity in the workplace means there are more who would stand together to protect and perfect that diversity against those who would destroy the hard-won achievements. Together WE stand!

Learn more about this author, Denise Scott.
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