A Promising Philosophy
Letter to the Editor
Austin American Statesman
September 15, 2003
Re: September 6 column by Rick Cherwitz and Susan Alvarado Boyd, "Increasing diversity by engaging hearts, minds":
I write to lend a voice to the argument advanced by Cherwitz and Boyd. As an active member of the American Psychological Association and the Texas Psychological Association who has worked diligently to increase the number of psychologists of color, I find the philosophy of intellectual entrepreneurship very promising. In addition to providing a potentially effective approach to recruitment, IE's focus on discovery, ownership and accountability resonates with the needs of underrepresented minorities and first generation students.
Cherwitz and Boyd understand that increasing diversity demands more than the wiggle room in admissions afforded by the Supreme Court's recent decision. It also requires a strong sense of affirmation, in which people are not viewed as members of a group targeted for recruitment, but as individuals whose distinctive goals and aspirations await discovery, and who have much potential for contribution. IE provides that affirmation.
MELBA VASQUEZ
Melba Vasquez has held various leadership positions in the American Psychological Association and has written about how to increase diversity in the field of psychology.