ABSTRACT
This chapter develops the logic of the necessity of basing any effective program on sound research. It discusses the research as being in one of three areas, including information, attitudes and behavior. The idea for a course on racism was developed in the late 1960s during a period of political and social turmoil in the United States. At that time, the University of Maryland offered a few very specialized courses touching on racism, taken mainly by graduate students. The course had moved from a special topics oddity of apparent little interest on a nearly all-white campus to a visible part of many multicultural offerings on a highly diverse campus. A technique called perceptual mapping can help in identifying physical locations and communities that may be of relevance to students. The Gates Millennium Scholars Program set out an ambitious and socially important series of goals for itself.
