I am white. Ohio State anti-diversity actions make me ashamed of my alma mater
I am a straight white male Ohio State University alum. I benefited from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Ohio State.
I have lived a privileged life — growing up as the child of two college-educated parents in a wealthy Cincinnati suburb.
I worked hard in high school, taking all honors classes, achieving my Eagle Scout, and getting a perfect score on the ACT. I attended Ohio State without a full-ride scholarship.
The common misconception is that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs took away opportunities from people like me.
I am writing today to share this is so far from the truth.
Over my time at OSU, I had the pleasure to work, learn, and interact with hundreds of distinguished students from a variety of backgrounds – many much different from my own.
I learned about the experience of being judged when you enter a business because of your appearance. I learned about generational trauma. I learned about the beauty of cultures other than my own.
Without these experiences, I would not be as well-rounded of an alum of Ohio State, and I would be less proud of my time there.
The recent news of defunding the Ohio State Office of Diversity and Inclusion makes me ashamed of my university.
It makes me less likely to want to donate to my university. It makes me less likely to recommend my coworkers send their kids to my university. It is bad for the students, bad for the alumni, and bad for our state.
I now work for a Fortune 500 company, one of Ohio’s largest employers. I have coworkers and friends who no longer feel safe living in the state of Ohio as decisions like this are being made by our largest institutions. They will be leaving the company.
These are highly educated, driven, passionate people — leaving Ohio because of the actions of our elected and appointed leaders.
By making these decisions, our leaders are hurting our economy, our society, and individuals. Soon, I too may be asking, do I really want to be an Ohio resident?
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