We begin our second semester of the National Collegiate Dialogue on Race Relations (NCDRR) in the midst of the 2012 Presidential Election campaign. What an exciting time it is to be a citizen of the United States of America! And, if you are of voting age, what a great time to vote, become an active participant in the political process. Voting for someone to represent your interests and those of your family and community is one of the greatest actions this great Republic affords us as citizens.
As you see, issues around race are emerging in the Presidential political debates and the commentary that goes along with them. The country seems polarized along many fronts, including race. Matters of race and race relations continue to be at the heart of every aspect of life in America, subtly or blatantly, consciously or subliminally. And nothing could be healthier and more progressive than having an honest and open dialogue about what issues we need to confront and solve to improve the quality of life for all humanity.
We could not embark upon a better effort to find solutions than engaging our students — the future leaders, teachers, mothers, fathers, and workers across disciplines and endeavors that make up all aspects of the quality of American life.
We have great submissions from professors, experts, journalists, authors, and others to guide and stimulate the discussion this semester. We are looking forward to a thoughtful, meaningful exchange among participating students.
We thank all of you for making our common humanity a priority.
Let the dialogue, follow-up discussions, and conversations continue….