TigerHawk links to a Harvard study that seems to indicate diversity training is ineffective.

Heh, imagine that.

But here’s the thing.  Anyone other than an ignorant knuckle dragger already knows that discrimination based on race/sex/age/origin etc. is wrong and counterproductive.  And no amount of training is going to help someone who believes otherwise.

Here’s an example of what I got out of some mandatory diversity training I attended several years ago.  The theme was being sensitive so as not to offend minorities.  I’m down with that, because as a white male, I am, demographically speaking, a minority (in the USA).  Anyway, as an example of insensitivity the instructor solemnly informed us that the visual aid commonly referred to as a “flip chart” was offensive.  Seriously.  You see, “flip” is a derogatory term applied to Filipinos.   And so according to the trainer we should henceforth call the flip chart a rip chart.

To our credit, we didn’t let the trainer get away without asking some clarifying questions.  Like, it is wrong to “flip a coin”?  Is it permissible to “flip through the pages of a book”?  Or how about if someone cuts you off in traffic–can you “flip them the finger”?  Yeah, it’s true.  We were certainly being “flip” about the subject.

Anyway, as far as I am concerned there is only one race that matters and no amount of diversity training is going to shake my deeply held belief about which race is best.

And what race is that you ask?  It should be obvious really.  The human race.