In one of those interesting juxtapositions of national and local events that often fuels this space, the U.S. presidential race took center stage this week with primaries in Texas and Ohio, delegate-rich states that formed the backbone for a revitalization of Hillary Clinton’s campaign even while Barack Obama pointed to his delegate lead as a sign of his strength. Of course, John McCain also cemented his status as the Republican nominee for president with his own primary wins, but Hillary and Barack are the focus of this exercise.
The fact that both are in contention to serve as the next president of the United States is a testament to how far we as a people – and a nation – have come, but in an age where both a woman and a black man are mounting serious bids to occupy the White House next year, a pair of valley events this week reinforced the point that outside of presidential primaries, the battle for equality is still being fought.
On Tuesday, Vassar College hosted a discussion titled, “Diversity: New Definitions for a New Century,” focused on exploring social justice, affirmative action and racial quality. The next day, the WAGE Project conducted a “$mart $tart” campus workshop at Marist College as part of campaign to help women across the county end the gender wage gap within the next decade. Currently, women earn 77 cents to every dollar men earn in similar fields and with similar skill sets. The WAGE Project, a nationwide initiative founded by Evelyn Murphy, the former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, aims to help women eliminate that gap.
What do these two local events have in common with the race for the White House? Not a lot, except that they help illustrate a fundamental truth of this country – despite all the progress we’ve made toward equality, there are still attitudes that need to be changed. And while that may be totally obvious to most of us, the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination is also a welcome reminder that there is light at the end of the tunnel. A generation ago, it would have been inconceivable that a black man or a woman could be this close to becoming the President of the United States. But with the general election just eight months off, that’s precisely what we have.
Because diversity isn’t simply about incorporating other cultures into our own – it’s about understanding them, making changes in the way we perceive them and ultimately embracing them. Clinton and Obama are the embodiment of those changes, but the forums in the Hudson Valley this week prove the battle is long from over. Nationally and locally, we need to be conscious of our need to continue to reshape our attitudes and embrace social change.