Are American Colleges Racist? Come To a Debate at the Soho Forum

Kmele Foster and Lawrence C. Ross, Jr. debate in New York on May 16.

The next Soho Forum takes in New York City on May 16 and features what promises to be an intense, Oxford-style debate over whether higher education is biased against black Americans. Author Lawrence Ross (follow him on Twitter) thinks so and will argue with Fifth Column podcast co-host Kmele Foster on the topic.

Here are details about the event:

Soho Forum

Are American Colleges Racist?

Lawrence Ross and Kmele Foster go head-to-head on Tuesday May 16th, tackling the controversial topic of racism on college campuses. Are college campuses racist against African Americans?

They will debate the following resolution:

"America's colleges have fostered a racist environment that makes them a hostile space for African American students."

For the affirmative:

Lawrence C. Ross Jr. is an author of Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses, as well as many other books that range from history, to current affairs, to fiction. He worked as a reporter for the Los Angeles Independent Newspaper and was managing editor of Rap Sheet, hip hop's first West Coast magazine. Ross has lectured at over 300 colleges and universities.

For the negative:

Kmele Foster is a telecommunications entrepreneur and TV host. He is the co-founder and vice president of TelcoIQ, a telecommunications consultancy firm. He is also the chairman of America's Future Foundation. Foster co-hosted Fox Business' The Independents, and currently co-hosts the libertarian podcast The Fifth Column.?

Tickets are almost sold out, so get in fast. This is not a debate to be missed!

Tuesday May 16, 2017

Subculture Theater
45 Bleecker St., NY, 10012
Doors open: 5:45pm
Meeting convenes: 6:30pm
Wine-and-cheese reception: 8:15pm

Tickets must be reserved in advance.

Check out the Reason Podcast, which includes versions of Soho Forum debates.

Last fall, I debated Loyola economist Walter Block about whether libertarians should vote for Donald Trump. Things got…interesting (Block denounced me as "vile" and a "nasty man" while explaining why libertarians should be pro-Trump. Take a listen. More details here.

Comments

[Citizen X - #6]

Isn't Kmele far too busy making money to participate in something like this?

[Fist of Etiquette]

The only problem Foster has doing this is that he can't fly first class to it.

[Chipper Mourning Somali Roadz]

He thought about sending one of his orphans, but decided that the orphans aren't ready yet to take over his debating gigs.

[bativag]

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[FreeRadical]

I'm a bit worried for Kmele in this one. His opponent has written multiple books and probably knows a huge number of emotive anecdotes and case studies.

Even though Kmele will probably be write, I have a feeling the other guy will out-credential him.

[Rhywun]

In a fair contest, derp should lose.

[colorblindkid]

Yeah I'm kind of worried, too, dspite how much I love Kmele. There have been many debates between creationists and evolution-believers where the creationist arguably won.
#KMELE2020

[Not a True MJG]

It's a libertarian forum hosting a popular libertarian TV and podcast personality. I think Kmele might have an edge.

The same dynamic played out with Welch against Chait, with Chait bringing a whole lot of statistics and citations. Welch was mostly the "c'mon!" guy, talking sense, and he won handily.

[timbo]

Yes they are racists. Everything is racists.

That is, everything is racists if you don't like it.
The greatest thing that ever happened to black people is the racist excuse.

[WakaWaka]

Well, it wasn't an excuse until about sixty years ago. It was a fact

[WakaWaka]

And frankly, it still is true in some circumstances.

[timbo]

Agreed. That was 60 years ago. and seriously

Race pimps have been setting back the progress of the individual ever since. There are no barriers due to race. There may be barriers to the business world based on a number of factors that are endemic to the black population. That is, the business world typically likes to hire people that speak proper English, have good attitudes, can add to the bottom line and profit, and generally dress professionally with short hair. That is the plain truth no matter your race. I know many black people who can add to the bottom line and are great employees. Unfortunately, professionally, their business acumen based on the points above is often a deterrent to the next level.

A sad fact is that many black males are not prepared in the least to enter the professional world. That is not some racist's fault. In fact, it is more the fault of parents and public school teachers and administrators who have not prepared them. Most public school admin where I live is all black. Are they racists then?

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

All societies are racist, everybody is racist, and the same applies to classist, sexist, ethicist, and every other ist there is[t].

The only real differences in American society is that some right wingers are upfront with being racists just because they want to be, while proggies refuse to admit that their racism is much more through and generic, and stems from refusing to admit that anybody but them has agency and is/can be responsible for themselves. I'm pretty sure that right wing racists want to hold other races responsible for being other races.

[Cynical Asshole]

proggies refuse to admit that their racism is much more through and generic, and stems from refusing to admit that anybody but them has agency and is/can be responsible for themselves

So you're saying they don't look down on niggers, kikes, wops or greasers because they are all equally worthless?

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

Everybody but them is equally worthless, so maybe you have a point there. How can you be racist when you sneer at every race, including your own and ones which haven't been invented yet?

[Microaggressor]

What kind of race do you plan on inventing?

[sarcasmic]

Could try crossing blacks with Mexicans. Call them too-lazy-to-steal.

*ducks and runs away*

[Scarecrow Repair & Chippering]

I figger xe et al are in the works. Gender, sex, race, what's it matter, they are all causus belli to the progtards.

[sarcasmic]

Proggies aren't racist. It's those evil right wingers and libertarians who don't feel that blacks need special treatment who are racist.

[Rhywun]

It almost seems cruel to pit Kmele against this other guy.

[Not a True MJG]

I consider it a hate crime.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I'm told Foster's already won it.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

Two black men at an Oxford-style debate. How is this whole thing not racist?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Only one black man.

[Bender B. Rodriguez]

Kmele will be too respectful to debate on this guy's level.

Also: Everyone's a little bit racist.

[Crusty Juggler aka "Chad"]

Lawrence C. Ross Jr. probably flies coach.

[Citizen X - #6]

Lawrence C. Ross Jr. has probably never even seen Phantom of the Opera.

[Pompey:? Class Mothersmucker]

I am looking forward to listening to complete bloodbath of Kmele winning this handily.

[WakaWaka]

"Block denounced me as "vile" and a "nasty man""

You mean how you called Ron Paul and his supporters anti-semites during a recent interview? Block was absolutely right in his assessment. You insult every other libertarian and then get upset when they state the obvious: "you're no more a proponent of liberty than Chuck Schumer".

Good on Walter Block for stating the obvious

[Not a True MJG]

"you're no more a proponent of liberty than Chuck Schumer".

I'm sorry, that's much further over the line than calling someone racist.

[Jerryskids]

Debating a resolution? #SoWhiteItsWrong.

Let's see a dance-off or a rap battle or maybe a dunking contest to see who wins the point, you cracker-ass racist bastards. Debating resolutions is just another way of discovering the truth, and a discredited one at that.

[Rhywun]

They could do one of those debate-slams, with the heavy breathing and hiccuping or whatever the hell that is.

[Kivlor]

Science too!. Science must be decolonized! #sciencemustfall

[esteve7]

Well yes, colleges are infested with SJWs, who are racists under any other name.

[Diane Reynolds (Paul.)]

"America's colleges have fostered a racist environment that makes them a hostile space for African American students."

College campuses skew left, so this argument rings true to me.

[Uncle Jay]

RE: Are American Colleges Racist? Come To a Debate at the Soho Forum

Of course not.
Just because certain people of color are preferred over others through affirmative action programs make them racists.
Just ask any EEOE bureaucrat sometime.

[MarkLastname]

Um, is it racist if universities overtly discriminate in favor of applicants of certain races?