Interrogating the histories and futures of "diversity": Transnational perspectives

Abstract

On October 16 and 17, 2017, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, we brought together scholars from around the world to collectively investigate the concept, history, and administration of the global discourse and practice of "diversity." In particular, we were interested in how the US Supreme Court decisions in Regents of University of California v. Bakke and Grutter v. Bollinger had ultimately led public universities in the United States to shift away from the original intent of affirmative action, which worked to redress historical inequality, and toward the concept of "diversity."1 We were struck by the ways that university- led diversity initiatives have shaped our everyday lives and by the extent to which we have been called to manage them.