Systematic Racism: Racial Segregation at Higher Education Institutions

Problem Statement

Despite the structural diversity, or the numerical representation of diverse groups at Duke, the University has yet to achieve true racial diversity by fostering integration among the spectrum of races. Duke proclaims it has interest in providing opportunity for diverse students, with a 9 to 11 percent of the incoming undergraduate class being African Americans in recent years, a ratio only rivaled by Stanford and Columbia University. Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders make up 20.76%; and international students are 7.8% of the student body. However, the statistics do not translate into the same level of diversity in reality. Students report a high ratio of same-race friendships, and the ratio stays fairly constant throughout the four years in college. Students also experience racial discrimination, in the classroom and out of the classroom; 37% to 47% report experiencing discrimination, with over 20% reporting for non-whites and females; for African American students, the ratio goes up to nearly 50%. True diversity has robust effects on educational outcomes, in terms of academics and social skills. But Duke must progress from structural diversity to true integration as structural diversity only increases the chance of encountering peers of diverse backgrounds and does not guarantee students will have meaningful intergroup interactions.

Like any higher education institution, Duke must face the challenge of overcoming the social stigma of honest racial conversations to combating racial/ethnic segregation. While people actually enjoy and have curiosity regarding racial issues, they avoid honest dialogue on race in fear of seeming racist. Based on the past cases of racial controversy on campus, professors who find significant research on race and campus life at Duke cannot publish without fearing student protest. Students desire diversity on campus, but jump to protests when an issue connected to race surfaces. The administration only responds when students express outrage, and focuses on building the notion that racism doesn’t exist on Duke’s campus. The sensitivity of racial issues and the lack of honest discussions only exacerbate racism and racial segregation.

Duke’s administration must implement effective policies to overcome heterogeneity and most importantly the fear surrounding honest racial conversations. Sociologically, people prefer friends who are like themselves along multiple dimensions (heterogeneity). Regardless, an educational institution must give attention to the types of experiences students have with diverse peers inside and outside the classroom, and must intentionally structure opportunities for students to leave the comfort of their homogeneous peer group and build relationships across racially/ethnically diverse student communities on campus.