I am proud to share Tony Richardson’s eloquent and persuasive response to the Supreme Court's decision to end race-based Affirmative Action in college admissions. Tony is a 2005 Bonner Scholar alum from Oberlin College and a member of the Bonner Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He is also the President of the Gund Foundation based in Cleveland, Ohio.
As Tony says, “diversity is our superpower.” It is one of the Common Commitments of the Bonner Program for a reason.
It is worth noting that the 2000-2008 longitudinal Bonner Student Impact Survey told us that students valued and gained significant skills in dialogue with others across difference in the program, and that this is the strongest predictor of positive civic outcomes after college. We also believe these experiences and relationships, both in the program (with other Bonners who themselves are from diverse backgrounds) and in the community with agency staff and clients and others (who often serve in an informal mentoring role), contributes significantly to the positive retention to graduation rates among students in the Bonner Program.
The Supreme Court’s decision challenges us all to re-double our efforts to live up to our motto “access to education, opportunity to serve.” This will take creativity, persistence, and collective action with new and old partners alike. And it will take leaders like Tony to help guide us on that journey to achieving the diversity and inclusion which are at the heart of the Bonner Program’s goals and experience.
