FLASHPOINTS Vignette - Women in Science

A professor (White, male), tells a young Black woman that she’s done well in the program and that he doesn’t think she will have trouble getting an internship because many people are looking for “someone like her.” The student looks distressed/confused and leaves. Later, she has coffee with a friend (White, female), who says that she thinks the professor’s comment is positive because it means there are lots of “diversity hires.” Discussion: How is the professor’s comment about “people like you” a racial microaggression when voiced to a young woman of color? What is meant by the term “diversity hire” and how is its usage problematic and offensive? What does the interaction between the two young women tell us about misunderstanding and allyship?