II. True Improvement
In suggesting how we can improve conditions, let me dispose of two aspects of a solution on which I will spend little time. First, encouraging diversity is a step in the right direction. It is also the right thing to do - at a minimum, employers have legal obligations under a wide variety of state and federal civil rights laws to use employment practices that have the effect of increasing diversity by prohibiting certain kinds of discrimination.
Second, and I take pains to emphasize that I am not a human resources expert, there are a variety of general human resource principles that aim to encourage and promote diversity. These include: recognizing that diversity is not a one-time issue but a continuing obligation, awareness and appreciation of differences, and an organization-wide commitment to diversity from the top down. In all respects, leadership matters.
My aim is not to trivialize these principles dealing with diversity. Rather, I recognize that these well-known principles are publicized as human resource lore. This allows me room to discuss principles of dealing with discrimination that deserve more emphasis. These are the concepts of critical mass and education.
