[lbo-talk] Michaels, Against Diversity

[Alan Rudy]

> Doug:
> How this gets translated into denouncing people who work with black
> prisoners is beyond me.
>
> I'll again say, I was reacting to the radio, hadn't read the paper stuff.
This, it seems to me, is far more careful, it is focused on universities and
corporations.
On the radio, however, and I think Shag and Joanna indicated this as tied to
their textual reading and personal experience, the brush stroked more widely
and, at least to these ears, seemed to imply that jsut about all racial
struggles were the equivalent of diversity efforts and ought to be passe.
He seemed to want to punt politics where race is primary and overcome
racism, sexism and heteronormativity through class politics.
But, again, I know folks tweaked about race at UCB and it is a crushingly
small minority of them who - as Robert has noted - separate race, class,
gender and sexual issues. Michaels seems to believe that all folks who
pushed for affirmative action, and professional diversity, are utterly
indifferent to the simultaneity of diversification and the class
consequences of neoliberalism.   I don't know who these people are.
Everyone I know who's pushed in important ways for a more diverse student
body has been pretty frustrated by the ways administrations have turned that
push away from poor minority students.