The U.S. Supreme Court has effectively ended affirmative action at universities, an action that ends a decades-old policy aimed at increasing diversity and addressing the underrepresentation of minority students. We’ll look at that far-reaching action today with our guest, Dr. Omékongo Dibinga, author of a new book, "Lies About Black People: How to Combat Racist Stereotypes and Why It Matters".
Dr. Dibinga is the founding director of UPstander International, a professor at American University, motivational speaker, TV talk show host, and rapper. He has studied at Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Georgetown, Morehouse, and The Fletcher School, where he earned his M.A. in Law & Diplomacy. He earned his Ph.D. in Education from The University of Maryland where his dissertation focused on JAY Z and global hip-hop.
Dibinga’s book, “From the Limbs of My Poetree”, was described by Essence Magazine as “a remarkable and insightful collection of exquisite poetry that touches sacred places within your spirit.” His latest book, "Lies About Black People," is the focus of this discussion, which explores affirmative action: what's next?
You can find more info about Dr. Dibinga's work at upstanderinternational.com.
Here are some questions we addressed with Dr. Dibinga:
Q. First, let’s talk about the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision and your thoughts about its implications.
Q. Now that affirmative action is no longer a requirement, what can colleges and universities do to uphold diversity and inclusiveness?
Q. Are Black people the only, or at least the primary, beneficiaries of affirmative action?
Q. The Washington Post published an opinion piece by senior political reporter Aaron Blake that cites an Economist/YouGov poll that shows Americans approving the decision more than 2 to 1 and other polls showing similar support. Why do you think that is?
Q. The Economist/YouGov poll showed that more than 4 in 10 Black Americans approved of the decision and that 31 percent “strongly” approved. In addition, just 11 percent of Black Americans felt that affirmative action had impacted them “positively.” Does that surprise you?
Q. What is the case for continuing affirmative action policies?
Q. Do you feel the Supreme Court’s decision will have broader implications than simply college and university admissions?Q. Talk about your new book and what it covers. Who is your target audience?Q. What are some of the lies and racist stereotypes that you discuss?
Q. In your book, you say “The world we live in today is based on lies.” Please explain.
Q. Do you believe racism in the U.S. has worsened in recent years? Why?
Q. You write that “Being Black in America is like being constantly connected to a lie detector.” Why?
Q. Has the Black Lives Matter movement helped or hindered the fight for racial equality? Why?
Q. Talk about the preschool-to-prison pipeline. Why is it that Blacks are disproportionately incarcerated in our prisons today?
Q. Do you believe Black people in America deserve reparations and other forms of remuneration for the suffering they’ve endured because of racism, including slavery?
Q. Dr. King expressed the hope that someday in our world people will be judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. Are we anywhere near achieving that goal?
Q. What do you think of Ron DeSantis and the other GOP presidential candidates?
Listen to the podcast:
View the podcast: https://youtu.be/QQt_RjCQEMA