Speaker calls for action on diversity
Green tells students to make their own decisions
Ubiq Staff Writer
On Wednesday, April 4, UW-WC's student development series continued when guest speaker Bill Green came to campus. One of Green's main messages to students was not just to say they are accepting of diversity, but to actually live it.
"We do a lot of talk," he said. "Moving from talk to action is a big thing."
Green is a diversity relations associate at Moraine Park Technical College, and he gives lectures about accepting diversity, especially on college campuses.
To get the discussion going, Green showed a short clip from a documentary titled "Skin Deep." The documentary brought 23 college students together to discuss racial issues they face in everyday life and how their opinions about other races have been formed.
Green explained the knowledge students have comes mostly from their family and the way they were brought up. This changes people's perceptions of the world, which determines their behavior.
Green shared a story about a family member who advised him to "not date any white girls or bring any white friends home" before he went off to college. However, instead of following this advice, Green made friends with people of all races and backgrounds. He believes making those friends has been one of the reasons he has been so successful in what he does.
This story embodied the overall message of the presentation.
"Our family gives us values, but it is up to us to make our own decisions," Green said.
The importance of open dialogue in discussing diversity was evident during the presentation. While acknowledging that the subject is a sensitive one, Green said that, like any other problem, pretending it does not exist will not change anything.
Even beyond open discussions, Green called for a change in actions. He explained how easy it is for someone to tell if a person has pre-conceived judgments about another race, gender or sexual orientation.
Although race was the main topic of the discussion, Green explained diversity is not only about the color of your skin.
"Diversity is a big thing, not just race or ethnicity."
