Taking on Diversity

""Rupert Nacoste is a master teacher who pushes us beyond guilt and finger-pointing, beyond name-calling and denial, to confront the legacies of white supremacy and the residue of our racial caste system. His brilliant Taking on Diversity shakes us awake and surprises us with real hope. I really enjoyed reading the book, which should reach as wide an audience as possible.” —Timothy B. Tyson, Duke University, author of Blood Done Sign My Name“Peaceful coexistence may be the most important of all human challenges. Can we rise above the relentless compulsion to divide, fear, and hate one another? This important and timely book takes readers down into the trenches of the real world, where misunderstandings and assumptions pass for common truths. Nacoste gives us invaluable access to what people really think, feel, and say about ‘others.' Filled with fascinating interactions and observations, Taking on Diversity will both shock and teach. With so many lines of division waging constant war against unity and cooperation, it should be widely read for its ability to enlighten and inspire. Highly recommended.” —Guy P. Harrison, author of Think and Race and Reality“In this absorbing and accessible work, Nacoste offers a profound consideration of the challenges and opportunities that shape interpersonal relationships in our neo-diverse nation. Combining his autobiography with those of the students he has taught, Nacoste invites readers onto the Neo-Diversity train to take this journey alongside them. ‘There are no innocent,' he reminds us, but there is plenty of room on board and all can afford the price of the ticket. Ever astute and brimming with insights, Nacoste's valuable intervention could not be timelier.” —Katherine Mellen Charron, author of Freedom's Teacher: The Life of Septima ClarkPraise for author's previous book Making Gumbo in the University:“A very compelling and somewhat iconoclastic book.... a very smart inside look at the politics and positioning of diversity on campus, and the challenges encountered when taking diversity seriously." --Dr. John Saltmarsh, Director of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education, Leadership Capstone Blog “Draws on the imagery of gumbo to distill lessons learned from his experience as the first vice provost for diversity and African American affairs at North Carolina State University....he outlines his view that the recipe for achieving diversity in the modern university requires stirring up the 'conflict of ideas' and allowing them to simmer into a rich concoction of durable relationships and intellectual ferment." --Diverse: Issues in Higher Education “Making Gumbo in the University deserves to be read for its progressive ideas and policies on diversity on the 21st century college campus. Nacoste argues for an intellectually dynamic university and he champions the need for ongoing dialogue about diversity as a way for colleges to remain on the cutting edge of beneficial change. Administrators should not be afraid to lead in this area, all students benefit from learning to be more tolerant of others, and the willingness and ability to change for the better is, for Nacoste, the 'responsibility of all university communities.'" --Dr. Edward Washington, Making Connections: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Cultural Diversity