The Diversity Bargain
And Other Dilemmas of Race, Admissions, and Meritocracy at Elite Universities
- Contents
- Review Quotes
- Awards

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Beliefs about Meritocracy and Race
American Students
2 Making Sense of Race
3 The University Influence
4 Merit and the Diversity Bargain
5 The Moral Imperatives of Diversity
British Students
6 Race Frames and Merit at Oxford
7 Race, Racism, and “Playing the Race Card” at Oxford
Conclusion
Appendix A: Respondent Characteristics and Race Frames
Appendix B: A Note on Methods
Appendix C: Interview Questions
Notes
Index
"If evidence were needed that tomorrow’s leaders do not enter college with the racial knowledge they need to guide the United States and United Kingdom through a turbulent time in our racial histories, The Diversity Bargain provides it. The book shows that white nationalism is not required to protect systems of white supremacy in ostensibly democratic societies. All it takes is leaders turning a blind eye to the pervasiveness of antidemocratic frames that quietly reinforce racial hierarchies."
American Educational Studies Association: AESA Critics Choice Book Award
Won
Society for the Study of Social Problems, Racial and Ethnic Minorities Division: Eduardo Bonilla-Silva Book Award
Honorable Mention
ASA Racial and Ethnic Minorities Section: Oliver Cromwell Cox Book Award
Honorable Mention
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