I try not to think too much about this. . .

. . . because I don't know what to make of it.

Last week, the search committee I am on, tasked with hiring a professor of African-American literature, met with a High Ranking Official from the Office of Equity and Diversity at my institution. Over the course of the conversation (which was about four times as long as it should have been, given the content of what was said as opposed to the verbiage with which it was expressed), this little nugget came out (not verbatim, but the best I can remember):

"I'm against discrimination, but I gotta say that I hope you bring an African-American candidate forward for hiring. Because if you don't, I don't know that the hire will be approved."

er...