Andrew Mellon Foundation: Our Compelling Interests
In his essay for the first installment of the Mellon Foundation’s Our Compelling Interests book series, demographer and author William H. Frey stated, “I am convinced that the United States is in the midst of a pivotal period ushering in extraordinary shifts in the nation’s racial demographic makeup. If planned for properly,” he continued, “these demographic changes will allow the country to face the future with growth and vitality..."
One year later, the question we must now ask ourselves is whether we are indeed planning properly, and what shape that plan must take if we are to be successful and prosperous moving forward together.
The Mellon Foundation’s book series, Our Compelling Interest, lays out the premise that for a democracy to thrive, diversity is critical. The initiative comes at a time when we are contemplating a changing societal landscape. The series promises to explore diversity—in racial, socioeconomic, gender, religious, regional, sexual, and other forms—through accessible, sophisticated, and balanced treatments by leading scholars, writers, intellectuals, and commentators. The goal is lively, informed analysis, not social or political bromides...