Of course, no one in the audience really believes that the performance they're about to witness represents the full diversity of the Harvard campus. Instead, it is a sampling of performances by selected campus ethnic organizations--not the entire campus. We wholeheartedly support the real reason Cultural Rhythms should exist: to give ethnic minority and cultural organizations at Harvard an occasion to put on a show of their own. Let's be honest: there is nothing wrong with having an event about minority student interests (which non-minorities, of course, are encouraged to attend). But why couch Cultural Rhythms in the language of diversity? In the end note to this year's program, Counter tosses words like "race," "culture," "ethnicity," "cultural expression," "differences" and "sharing" into a PR stew that may taste good but satisfies no one with an appetite for deeper engagement of serious social issues.

"Diversity" is cool, and, best of all, diversity is safe--it doesn't bring up scary ideas like affirmative action, racist police, white privilege, economic inequality or even (at Harvard) a multicultural student center and ethnic studies. The kind of "diversity" the University encourages doesn't depend on small groups of people meeting and talking through real problems but rather on diversity brokers who urge the students to create brochure-friendly diversity.

There is a political usefulness in making a specifically minority program one of Harvard's biggest annual campus events. And we are not criticizing the important roles that individual ethnic student organizations play on Harvard's campus. Cultural Rhythms provides significant benefits for those communities: it provides a reason and means to create intra-group community via a yearly performance--enabling students who might not otherwise be able to explore a culture the opportunity to participate in some of its traditions. We are also excited by the numerous groups who invite students from all ethnic backgrounds to join in the group learning.

However, just because Cultural Rhythms is "about" diversity doesn't mean that it actually pushes us in a direction we ought to be moving. It is easy to forget, but "diversity" is not the same as social justice. The time has come for us all to re-examine the dangerous logic implicit in some of our "rah-rah diversity" claims. True progressive thought, according to Professor Cornel West, overcomes racialized ways of thinking and replaces it with moral thinking. It dares to critique even the "minority" component of the establishment to work towards social justice for all disempowered peoples.

We focus our critique on a University and College administration which refuses to provide adequate funding and space for student groups, especially minorities. Why is Harvard sinking $4 million into a pretty, new tower atop Sanders Theatre while the students smiling and dancing for admissions brochures inside plea for a student center? It is as though the University is using student groups to authenticate Harvard's "diversity" (its latest marketing gimmick), while ignoring all of serious needs of students.

As enjoyable as the show was, students were the losers Saturday. The real winners were the University administrators who've duped us all (perhaps even themselves) into thinking that they actually understand the real issues involved in the word "diversity." Let's remind them of what really matters.

Geoffrey A. Fowler '00 is editor-in-chief of Diversity & Distinction magazine and webmaster of The Crimson. Kamil E. Redmond '00, a Crimson editor, is the Vice-President of the Undergraduate Council.