As I look back on this course, I feel that a lot of the readings and learning materials have left me with some valuable information that I can carry on with me in the future. One of the major resources I gained from was A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki. It dealt with the perspectives of minority individuals in America including Native Americans, African Americans, Irish, Chicanos, Chinese, Japanese, and Jews. It incorporated quotes from individuals, songs, photographs, and more. The imagery provided me with a better sense of what it would have been like to live in America as a minoritized individual at that time. I was able to learn about the histories and experiences of multiple ethnic groups and the attitudes people felt towards them. I was able to take a lot away from this book because it helped me to understand how much history plays a role in how individuals of a certain ethnic group are treated today.
Readings for Diversity and Social Justice (4th edition) was also a key learning resource for me. This book was filled with a wide range of social oppressions from the standpoint of promoting social justice. Some of the sections we read were on racism, religious oppression, classism, transgender oppression, and heterosexism. Within these topics, I was able to understand the interconnectedness of oppression and everyday life.
This course also introduced me to some theories used to approach different scenarios and situations relating to current issues in higher education. Black Feminist Thought, Borderlands, and Transdisciplinary Applied Social Justice were some of the theories I was able to learn about. By the end of this course I was able to offer intervention suggestions for the issue of retaining diverse faculty through the lens of Black Feminist Thought. These learning materials have resonated with me and I feel confident that I will use the information that I have gained to aid in my practice and become a better student affairs professional.
