Diversity Statement

I understand diversity to mean multiple perspectives, multiple identities, multiple communities having equal opportunity and access to resources and institutions. In this way, my research agenda contributes greatly toward the goal of achieving diversity in our elected legislative bodies. The homogeneity of elected representatives is shameful, and undermines the legitimacy of our political institutions for future generations, to say nothing of the policies that are ignored or not even discussed because our elected representatives have no experience with them, such as gun violence, equal pay, transgender identity, etc. (Lane & Humphreys 2011).

I believe it requires appreciating elected offices as instruments to understand the importance of diversity in our elected representatives. I had the fortune earlier in my career to work as a community organizer for the Binghamton Neighborhood Assemblies Project. Binghamton is a relatively small city in upstate New York that has seen manufacturing and technology jobs leave in the last two decades. But this has hit African American residents hardest, who live in very defined parts of the city. My goal was to go into these neighborhoods and encourage residents to participate in neighborhood assemblies to give voice to issues affecting their lives. This was a noble initiative on the part of the Mayor at the time, but it was met with intense resistance from established political forces in the city, mostly White, Italian and Irish American community groups. These forces were represented on the city council much more than the neighborhoods I was trying to organize.

Similarly, as a Master of Social Work student, I had a field placement at the Technical Assistance Center for the Good Neighborhoods Initiative, which was a project the Skillman Foundation of Detroit was funding. In this capacity, I attended many meetings where Detroit residents spent hours discussing by-laws for neighborhood advisory boards. The process was thrilling to see in action, just the spirit and dedication individuals brought to the construction of boards that had no formal relationship to the city government was very inspiring to witness. I am left to wonder, though, how successful these groups were, as the city later filed for bankruptcy protection, and the school system has gone through continuous rounds of restructuring.

Civic activism is wonderful, and social workers should encourage those from under-represented communities to participate in the political process. But in a representative democracy, political power ultimately rests with our elected representatives. This is a reality many of us would rather not acknowledge. I similarly wonder if those who volunteered their time to the Good Neighborhoods Initiative did so because they felt it was a better use of their time than, for example, running for office. Did they feel they could make more of a difference in their neighborhoods outside of elected office?

This mindset, though, belies the impact running alone can have on an issue. In my dissertation research, one interview subject spoke directly to this point. She was aware that the county treasurer was not using all of the tools at his disposal to prevent homes from being foreclosed on. She decided to run for the office and make an issue of it in the campaign. Although she lost, she was optimistic: “I was able to get change going. And it’s actually had an impact all over the state.”

If my research can be used to encourage individuals to run for office who then bring attention to issues that would otherwise be ignored, there is no telling what impact those candidacies can have on not only issues, but the notion of candidacy itself. Seeing individuals like oneself running for office normalizes the idea of running for office. I would like, at the end of my career, for every individual to have not only an equal opportunity to run for office, but an equal interest in doing so. Because our elected offices are instruments, we should all be interested in using them. These should not be the exclusive tools of affluent white men, but should be available to all.