Diversity and Multicultural Affairs

The Extension Committee on Organization and Policy and the Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture in the document "Pathway to Diversity" (1991), expressed a vision for the Cooperative Extension System as "a diverse and multicultural organization that values, is committed to, and embodies pluralism as a long term investment in the future." The document further expressed the perceived role of Extension as "a model for achieving a pluralistic society." A pluralistic organizational culture values diversity in all dimensions of human differences and incorporates mutual respect, acceptance, teamwork, and productivity among all people.

As the outreach component of the state's Land Grant institution, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has a tremendous role to play in helping families and communities understand, accommodate and respond to individual and cultural differences. Extension, by its very definition, is an organization operating under the commitment to provide educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. This commitment addresses directly the responsibilities of Extension to provide outreach services to diverse audiences, and indirectly addresses the organization's obligation to design its programs around the expressed needs of all citizens.

All communities need to establish a sense of unity among culturally diverse families, groups and organizations. Programs and activities implemented under the concept of valuing diversity are applicable to communities statewide- urban as well as rural. However, there is a recognized need within urban communities to strengthen the sense of unity through more intense programming efforts which demonstrate more fully the significant relationship of unity to quality of life (Schweitzer, 1996).

The population in the state of Alabama is becoming increasingly diverse relative to age, race, gender and culture. As the state's population changes, so must its response to diversity. The nature of this response is crucial to the well-being of individuals, families and communities. The truth is, differences alone do not cause racial problems, but how people respond to differences can. The history of the nation unfortunately reflects a race consciousness which its southern states have struggled to overcome for many years. There is a growing need for Alabama citizens to strive to enhance their appreciation for differences and to move forward to eradicate prejudice through education. America was built on the unified contribution of its diverse constituents. Each race, culture, sex and age group has positive contributions to make toward the betterment of human society. The diversity of the nation as a whole and within the state of Alabama "is a source of strength that should be appreciated and cultivated." (Beyond Rhetoric, 1991).