There’s been a lot of misuse and manipulation of the term “DEI,” which stand for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. As a lifelong educator who taught at Wright State University for 31 years and served the Ohio Attorney General’s office and the Ohio Department of Administrative Services under Mike Dewine, I am well equipped to debunk the myths and fears about DEI in our current political climate.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion is not a hand-out, it’s a hand-up. At its core, DEI breaks down the mental roadblocks we put up about ourselves and others. It helps us better understand how we talk about ourselves and how we talk to others who are different from us. DEI services provide practical communication methods and procedures that are not taught in traditional coursework and involve soft skills that can benefit everyone in personal and professional settings.
These programs not only provide scholarships, but offer a safe space and resources for these students to remain in class and graduate. DEI offices teach students not to hide their identity, but to utilize their culture with their higher education to provide better opportunities for themselves, their families and our country.
Being the only brown face in an all-white space can be very isolating and alienating. These centers bridge that gap, uniting us by our differences — not dividing us. DEI programs become the students' home away from home. Sometimes, this is the first place where they feel they belong.
Credit: Erin Pence
Credit: Erin Pence
I would know. I was no different than these students today. I didn’t have any role models to follow. I didn’t know anyone who looked like me who went to college. I did not have the guidance at home to apply for schools, let alone navigate the hurdles of financial aid and a rigorous academic schedule. Growing up in South Lorain, I believed I had a better chance of getting killed in Vietnam than earning a bachelor’s degree.
With the guidance of Saul Torres at Lorain County Community College, I learned it was possible to go to school — but it wouldn’t come without its challenges. With the mental and emotional support of the Latino Student Association at Bowling Green State University, I was able to overcome those hurdles, stay in school, and earn not only a bachelor’s degree, but also a master’s.
These experiences and relationships shaped the way I built the Athletic Training Program at Wright State University. Students from affluent and poor communities connected through their diverse backgrounds and experiences in their quest for careers in sports medicine. I made this “Unity through Diversity” principle mandatory in the creation of the Office Latino Affairs at Wright State/Amigos Latinos Student Association, where you don’t have to be Latino to be a friend.
You don’t have to be a member of a DEI community to reap the benefits these programs have on our residents, our industries and our state.
Tony Ortiz is retired from Wright State University, President/Founder of El Puente, Commissioner of the Minority Health Commission, and a Board Member of the Dayton Foundation, Miami Valley Hospital Foundation and C.J. High School. The views presented in this column are his own and are not a reflection of any of the organizations with which he is affiliated.
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