Events
April 26, 2010
Provost Lewis on being inclusive
“What constitutes the diversity we seek?” Provost Earl Lewis asked in “Building an Inclusive University Community: History, Challenges and Opportunities” on April 21.
Lewis, a historian, outlined “iconic” moments in U.S. history. “Many of the policies, institutions, strategies, relationship have grown out of our encounter with the 20th century battle for inclusion and without question, higher education in the United States has been at ground zero.”
Lewis looked at historical patterns of how Emory became a more inclusive community: The inclusion of one group led to the inclusion of other groups; external pressure from national trends; internal pressure from precipitation events; and the groups formed in response to those pressures and trends broadening their perspectives as they matured.
“We are the architects of our own future,” he said. “If segregation no longer warrants our action and diversity fails us, what steps are necessary to produce an inclusive university community?”
