Episode 15: Celebrating Black History Month with an open discussion about racism, race relations, and inequality ft. Dr. Ronald Mason, President of UDC
Racial and social unrest were hallmarks of 2020, but the systemic issues that led to civil rights movements in the 1950s and 1960s and now to Black Lives Matter protests date back much further. The United States was built on a system of white supremacy. For example, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, asserted in the document that “all men are created equal.” Yet, Jefferson owned more than 600 African-American slaves. Though he later supported ending slavery through political means, his personal beliefs and behaviors remain controversial and are still the subject of debate.
In light of all this, and in celebration of Black History Month, Dr. Ronald Mason, Jr., President of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), joined this episode of the Illuminate Higher Education podcast to confront issues of racial and socioeconomic inequalities in higher education.
This brief Q&A touches on some highlights of the conversation. Listen to the full podcast episode for a deep dive into racism, race relations, and inequality in America today.
Q: What are Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)? Why are they an important part of your career?
Historically, HBCUs were founded when Black students could not attend other universities. They have never been segregated based on race, but they have struggled because of the race of the students they serve. HBCUs are institutional reflections of Black people in America and the additional layer of challenges that America has put on them.
I spent a significant portion of my career at Tulane, a predominantly white institution (PWI). I was general counsel then senior VP and general counsel for about 17 years. I was the first Black senior official at Tulane, and I was the last one too. When I was at Tulane, the students there did not really need me. They were relatively wealthy. But I did connect with a small number of black and brown students there. I was the first senior (and last) who was black. After spending this time at a PWI, I wanted to move to an HBCU.
Q: Education is supposed to help close socioeconomic and racial gaps, but it is not equally accessible to all. What do you think contributes to this problem?
We live in a system designed to concentrate wealth. Seventy-seven percent of the wealth in this country is owned by 10% of the population. That means 22% has to be shared by 90% of the population. If we were able to spread the wealth around more, we would have a more equitable society.
There is a lot that has to happen for that small group to have that level of wealth. There is an entire system in place and it works by telling white people they are special. While they are not necessarily privileged, they identify more with the 10% of wealthy whites than the 90% of the population. This illusion causes racial discord, and we spend so much time fighting over race that we can’t focus on the real problem—concentrated wealth. It is a system of white supremacy.
Education is a talent production pipeline. Employers keep complaining that they cannot find talent. We asked ourselves, “In the most wealthy country in the nation, why are we not producing talent at levels that satisfy the needs of employers?” The system of white supremacy destroys more talent than it produces. For it to work, the competition must be rigged—the talent can only circulate from the top, depending on where you were born and who your parents are. Opportunities at the top remain at the top, and talent at the bottom cannot compete. The talent production pipeline is clogged at the top because it is not actually open to all.
Q: Can we overcome racism?
There was a study done in the 1990s that showed that if you had a “Black-sounding” name on your resume, the HR department would throw it out. Another Purdue University study in 1996 showed that the heart rates of white interviewers would increase if a black man entered an interview room. It’s not even conscious.
Seventy percent of Americans voted for Trump. Every white category of voters voted for Trump, except for young white voters. They did this for three reasons:
To ensure that wealth stays concentrated in the hands of a few
To ensure that advantages of being white stay in place
To ensure that Black people remained down and out
Seventy-six percent of whites that voted for Biden want to see racial equity but are reluctant to give up special advantages their children have for jobs, schools, or nice neighborhoods. People want to do the right thing, but the real-world price of doing it is a much bigger challenge.
America is a work in progress. We’ve learned to talk around it and evade the true topic of white supremacy because white supremacy does not want you to talk about it. I try to be direct in my language because that is the only way now to further the work.
At the end of the day, America needs the talent. We have to figure out ways to allow more diverse talent to rise to the top. Everybody is in this country because they really do believe in the idea of America, and the idea is worth fighting for.
Learn more about The University of the District of Columbia and Dr. Ronald Mason’s leadership by visiting UDC.edu and following @UDC_edu on Twitter.
Subscribe to email updates about the Institute for the Study and Elimination of White Supremacy in America here.
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