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Race

University's Center for Social Justice and Inclusion Hosts Race-Segregated Virtual Events

University of Michigan-Dearborn offers one discussion space for students of color, and another for whites.

Robby Soave | 9.9.2020 1:50 PM

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UniversityofMichDearbornEng | Dave Parker
(Dave Parker)

The University of Michigan-Dearborn's Center for Social Justice and Inclusion states that its mission is to "celebrate the uniqueness" of each student and "remove barriers" to full participation in campus life. But this laudable goal would appear to be at odds with the actual practices of the center, which include hosting race-segregated virtual events.

This week, the center advertised an online discussion session for "students that do not identify as people of color"—white students, in other words. A separate event—for students who are black, indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC)—is also on the calendar.

The non-POC event is billed as "a space for students that do not identify as persons of color to gather and to discuss their experience as students on campus and as non-POC in the world."

"Feel free to drop in and discuss your experiences as non-persons of color and hopefully brainstorm solutions to common issues within the non-POC community," wrote the organizers. "The Cafe will be facilitated by a non-POC faculty/staff member to ensure that discussions are kept safe and respectful."

Presumably, the BIPOC event is described similarly, but with a BIPOC moderator instead. (I can't access the web page for this event: It's as if UM-Dearborn's website somehow knows I'm a white person.)

Update! Seems like @UM_Dearborn has two cafes. Competing cafes. I get the intention but this was not thought out and very lazy. pic.twitter.com/BqTFy8rXN6

— Abed A. Ayoub (@aayoub) September 9, 2020

Public university events that are specifically tailored to students of a specific race or gender sometimes draw legal challenges, since federal law generally prohibits discrimination in schools. The American Enterprise Institute's Mark Perry, a professor at the University of Michigan's Flint campus, filed a civil rights complaint against Michigan State University's women-only study lounge, for instance, which prompted the university to open the space to all. Perhaps someone at Dearborn thought the solution to the potential legal problem of POC-only events was to also have whites-only events. I emailed the center to ask whether they had inadvertently reinstated the separate-but-equal doctrine, and will update this article if I hear back.

In any case, if students wish to freely associate into identity-based groups, that is their right. University administrators, though, should host discussions on issues of identity that are open to all students, regardless of their ethnicity. This is the best way to foster racial harmony on campus, and it's consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

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NEXT: Disney’s Mulan Is an Extravagant Mediocrity

Robby Soave is a senior editor at Reason.

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  1. Diane Reynolds (Paul.)   5 years ago

    The biggest threat to American cities is White Supremacy.

    1. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

      Why are you capitalizing white supremacy? Trying to make it seem like a bigger threat than it actually is?

      1. soussari   5 years ago

        I am making $165 an hour working from home. i was greatly surprised at the same time as my neighbour advised me she changed into averaging $95 however I see the way it works now.OLx I experience masses frenedom now that i’m my non-public boss. that is what I do……

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    2. Quo Usque Tandem   5 years ago

      Sounds like you're spoofing OBL.

      1. Diane Reynolds (Paul.)   5 years ago

        I'm spoofing the media.

  2. Diane Reynolds (Paul.)   5 years ago

    The left will not rest until they have finally achieved Negros Only drinking fountains and everyone is not judged by the content of their character, but the color of their skin.

    1. Bluwater   5 years ago

      Grand Dragons of the old KKK order are rolling in their grave for not having this figured out better. Should have presented segregation as a benefit to POC and so they didn't feel inferior.

      It seems as though there is a lot of projection going on here.

      1. Red Rocks White Privilege   5 years ago

        Grand Dragons of the old KKK order are rolling in their grave for not having this figured out better. Should have presented segregation as a benefit to POC and so they didn’t feel inferior.

        They tried that in 1861 and got invaded as a result.

      2. Brandybuck   5 years ago

        Grand Dragons of the old KKK did figure it out, and they ran for cpmgress or got jobs as college administrators.

    2. Its_Not_Inevitable   5 years ago

      Separate but equal? Someone should coin that phrase.

      1. Diane Reynolds (Paul.)   5 years ago

        Separate but Better!

    3. damikesc   5 years ago

      It does seem fitting that segregation is AGAIN being pushed by people who fervently support the DNC.

      1. TJJ2000   5 years ago

        Actually it fits perfectly - It was the party of slavery after all. It is the party of Hitler. It is the party of the USSR.

        Pretending to be saints while "accidentally?" preforming the biggest evils of all time has always been the very foundation of socialist/communist parties and that would include today's DNC. They always cry about their slavery, authoritarian, and mob rules as being for the "common good" but it never ever turns out to be good at all.

  3. Longtobefree   5 years ago

    So a case for false advertising?

  4. Eddy   5 years ago

    Why not have a BIPOC campus and a non-POC campus?

    And again, it seems to be about how you "identify." So which campus, I mean discussion section, could Jessica Krug and Rachel Dolezal attend (assuming the identify as U-Mich Dearborn students)?

    1. Longtobefree   5 years ago

      Well, you see, Historically black is OK, but Historically white is evil.
      In a wholly separate but equal, mostly peaceful, kind of way.

    2. Juice   5 years ago

      non-POC? Are there several varieties of this?

      1. Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf   5 years ago

        It's probably supposed to be People Of non-Color, but of course they spend so much time in fluid gender studies that fluid non-grammar just fell into their laps.

      2. perlchpr   5 years ago

        Sure, there are some non-POC who are white, and then there are people like me, who are translucent.

        Remarkably convenient when I need to check out how any given organ is doing.

        *waves hello to own spleen*

        1. Don't look at me!   5 years ago

          Check your translucent privilege.

          1. Fat Mike's Drug Habit   5 years ago

            #JellyfishLivesMatter

      3. Sometimes a Great Notion   5 years ago

        Whites and Asians, possibly Jews (but they are kind of like Y's, a vowel and a consonant).

    3. Red Rocks White Privilege   5 years ago

      I guarantee any setup like this would result in subsequent reeeeeeeeing when the white university inevitably had better GPA and graduate figures than the non-white university, followed immediately be "everyone gets an A!" policies at the latter.

      Related--when busing ended in Denver Public Schools in the mid-90s, Manual High School went into a pretty rapid decline to the point where it finally got shut down for a year in 2006 so it could be re-organized. Part of it was because the school had been propped up during most of that time by the higher-achieving white kids from other parts of the city. However, that also resulted in the school needing to offer AP courses so those same white kids could get college credit without being dragged down by the lower-achieving, on average, minority students. At the same time, the minority kids who actually gave a shit about their education instead of gang-banging benefited from having those courses as well, and could improve their situation without being dragged down into the ghetto crab bucket by the idiots who thought doing well in school and not getting shot in drug deals or drive-bys was "acting white."

      Right after busing, the administrators made the laughably stupid move to shut down the harder classes like AP courses, because they actually thought the majority-minority student body wouldn't be able to handle the rigors of a college-level course. That ended up destroying whatever academic reputation the school had--valedictorians who made straight As would get full-ride scholarships to places like Colorado College, and find themselves hopelessly out of their depth compared to the white kids who went to suburban schools.

    4. Fats of Fury   5 years ago

      The lightbulbs at the BiPoc campus would ironically cause a blackout.

  5. Fat Mike's Drug Habit   5 years ago

    See, it's not actually a violation because all they're doing is basing this on how you "identify", not what you actually are. Since you can identify as whatever you'd like and can change how you identify at any time this provides a lot of flexibility.

    As long as the events aren't held at the same time, you can identify as white for one and black for the other and you can be admitted to both. No discrimination enforced.

    This was intended as sarcasm and I felt pretty stupid writing it, but I hope some University attorney decides to try it out in court.

    1. Eddy   5 years ago

      They might have to resort to that argument, though if it gets to court there's a good chance the argument they will make will be "the program is cancelled as of [date suit was filed], so the case is moot."

  6. The_Unknown_Pundit   5 years ago

    Well, campus activists have claimed that campuses are hotbeds of racism. Nice to see them making it so.

    They've also claimed campuses are hotbeds of sexual assault and rapes. Wonder what they are going to do there to make sure that happens.

    1. Fat Mike's Drug Habit   5 years ago

      Well they can't actually go out and make people start raping each other, so they'll just redefine rape to mean "the creepy kid looked at me and I didn't like it". Presto, thousands of rape cases to lord over.

    2. Velvet Thunder   5 years ago

      I imagine there will be a lot of non-consensual pegging involved.

  7. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

    I was required to go to a higher education conference about a program to increase graduation rates. Little did I know, it was all about hating whitey.

    When it was time to take questions, the person with the mic said, "I'm going to hold space for people of color to speak first. This is about intentionality...because of racism, people of color will not speak up first."

    It was quite a shock.

    I did laugh, though, after a black guy behind me said, "Speak for yourself."

    Anyway, higher ed is fucked.

  8. Unicorn Abattoir   5 years ago

    "The Cafe will be facilitated by a non-POC faculty/staff member to ensure that discussions are kept safe and respectful."

    In other words, a fully indoctrinated, self-hating white person.

    1. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

      And a Nazi at heart.

    2. Its_Not_Inevitable   5 years ago

      Do they not trust POC people to ensure that discussions are kept safe and respectful?

  9. Eddy   5 years ago

    "discuss your experiences as non-persons of color and hopefully brainstorm solutions to common issues within the non-POC community"

    How can I get a reliable trainer for my polo ponies?

    What are the best Swiss spas?

    (It's OK, I can make these jokes because I'm non-POC)

  10. Jerryskids   5 years ago

    Look at little Robbie there, pretending like he doesn't know goddamn well what "diversity" and "inclusiveness" mean, like he's never heard of George Orwell. These people are Marxists, there's nothing "ironic" about their use of these terms, they're determined to cram this shit down your throat and force you to call it ice cream.

    1. phillhamian   5 years ago

      The writers at this publication can't seem to wrap their heads around the notion that none of this is genuine. They honestly believe that leftists have good intentions.

  11. ThomasD   5 years ago

    " one discussion space for students of color, and another for whites."

    No, the latter is for people who do not 'identify' as a POC.

    It's open to anybody.

    1. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

      Guess Asians will be sitting at the white table.

      1. Brandybuck   5 years ago

        Like the Italians, Slavs, and Jews before them, Asians will soon be declared White by government checklists.

        Actually, many people native to the Indian subcontinent are technically "caucasian". The "indo" in Indo-European comes from "india". Really.

        1. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

          The new acronym in colleges and universities is HUPOC--historically un/under-represented people of color. It doesn't include Asians because they likely grew up with both parents and were pressured to work hard and succeed instead of whine and take handouts.

    2. Brandybuck   5 years ago

      Actually no. One can't just "identify" as a POC. The lefties are smarter than that. They know you're really White. You have to have been previously known as one. Or maybe claim you're 1/64th Cherokee or something.

      1. Fat Mike's Drug Habit   5 years ago

        So 1/1024 wouldn't count then?

        1. Brandybuck   5 years ago

          One Drop Rule says it counts. But you might want to bring your 23 And Me report card along with you.

          Funny thing, the One Drop Rule. It applies when the Left wants it to, and not allowed when they don't. They're wholly ignorant of its origins.

          1. Fat Mike's Drug Habit   5 years ago

            My 23 And Me report card shows my relatives fucked their way across Europe before coming here. There's some Sicilian in there, and I get swarthy enough in summertime that I could probably swing some sweet grievance points.

        2. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

          "So 1/1024 wouldn’t count then?"

          Not one bit.

          1. GroundTruth   5 years ago

            Maybe a byte?

  12. JETnPHX   5 years ago

    I think "non-persons" gets to the heart of it all.

  13. Formerly Cynical Asshole   5 years ago

    I emailed the center to ask whether they had inadvertently reinstated the separate-but-equal doctrine, and will update this article if I hear back.

    Yeah, don't hold your breath waiting for a response. University administrators don't have a sense of humor.

    I don't think there was anything inadvertent about this though. Progressives are racist assholes and always have been.

    1. Fist of Etiquette   5 years ago

      A sense of humor or a sense of irony. Or their self-awareness might have been replaced with a heightened sense of self-preservation.

    2. lap83   5 years ago

      Inadvertently? No...

    3. Don't look at me!   5 years ago

      History? What’s that?

    4. JoeB   5 years ago

      Good point. Doesn't this actually violate Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka?

  14. Mickey Rat   5 years ago

    "non-persons of color"
    That may be the most awkward euphemism I have ever seen. Only someone with a high degree of education would be senseless enough to propose that as an actual term of art.

    1. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

      When I was a higher ed admin, I was called in to meet with a VP and the diversity executive director about mandatory diversity training for all faculty. She stated she wanted two faculty to lead it, "one person of color and one . . . not." She must not have wanted to say "white person," but for some reason didn't. Maybe it sounded racist to her. Maybe it was because I was there. Thankfully, I'm not any more.

      1. Quo Usque Tandem   5 years ago

        "When I was a higher ed admin..."

        Now that takes some nerve to admit; like me saying I worked at Auschwitz, only your [former] kind just murder people on a mental level.

        1. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

          College catalogs gotsta get published, faculty gosta get supervised, and budgets don't manage themselves.

          As a libertarian admin, I was always looking to save money and reduce bureaucracy.

          So tell me, Tandem, would you rather have socialist admins who want to grow the bloat or libertarian admins who want to reduce it?

    2. Vernon Depner   5 years ago

      Shouldn't it be "persons of non-color"?

      1. The Team Struggling   5 years ago

        ...so, black?

  15. Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf   5 years ago

    I got family constantly posting white guilt crap; the only reason I do Facebook is to keep up with family, but being hounded about how guilty I should feel is not something I will put up with for long, so I whined back the other day -- government made kidnapping legal by calling it slavery, government mandated segregation with Plessy, and government mandated reverse discrimination with affirmative action. And you think this same government should get a fourth try at solving racism? Besides, where do you, a white person, get off speaking for blacks? You are doing the same thing government did, pretending to speak on their behalf, patronizingly, condescendingly, as if they do not have agency, are not individuals, and all think alike, in the manner you have discerned.

    Felt good. Haven't heard back. Don't expect to. Burn Loot Murder emphasizes cowardice above all -- only picks on weak timid targets it can shame into feeling guilty for merely being alive.

    1. Quo Usque Tandem   5 years ago

      "Haven’t heard back. Don’t expect to."

      Do they ever ask for money? If so, that's when you will hear back.

    2. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

      Deleting FB in March was one of the best things I ever did.

  16. Eddy   5 years ago

    Interesting...

    "If color is solely the way physics describes it, the visible spectrum of light waves, then black and white are outcasts and don’t count as true, physical colors....If you include in the definition of color, however, all of the ways in which human eyes process light and the lack of it, then black and white, as well as pink, earn their places in the crayon box."

    https://www.britannica.com/story/are-black-and-white-colors

  17. Eddy   5 years ago

    "Of course the law is inclusive, Mr. Plessy, the law simply requires that you go and include yourself in the Jim Crow compartment."

  18. Gasman   5 years ago

    Separate, yet purportedly equal.
    The liberals have opted to overturn Brown v Board.

    1. Quo Usque Tandem   5 years ago

      If a POC asks for separate, that is one thing; but a non POC cannot do that. At least that is how I understand the "rules" because one person's ancestor got oppressed and the other did not.

      1. Fat Mike's Drug Habit   5 years ago

        So as long as they're segregated for their own good it's fine?

        1. Quo Usque Tandem   5 years ago

          By their choice apparently. As with Black Student Unions, Black History Month, etc.

          1. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

            At least they allow Young Republicans clubs...for now.

      2. Yes Way, Ted   5 years ago

        I'd ask the POC to prove my Irish ancestors weren't oppressed.

  19. Larvell Blanks   5 years ago

    I know that my conception of identity is totally based on my being a "non-person of color," or more simply, a "non-person." It defines my existence. I feel like I am seen.

  20. Quo Usque Tandem   5 years ago

    "But this laudable goal..."

    No it isn't.

  21. Rich   5 years ago

    Michigan-Dearborn's Center for Social Justice and Inclusion states that its mission is to "celebrate the uniqueness" of each student

    Then Michigan-Dearborn has *way* too much money. Federal money, in particular.

  22. Rich   5 years ago

    University of Michigan-Dearborn offers one discussion space for students of color, and another for whites.

    "Offers", eh? "Mighty white of you."

    How about one discussion space for every student who is red on the inside, that space being the whole fucking campus?

  23. Bubba Jones   5 years ago

    White people are encouraged to brainstorm about what's good for black people?

    This seems counterintuitive.

  24. IceTrey   5 years ago

    Here we go Democrats setting up Jim Crow again. Maybe the non POC event means only albinos?

  25. Dillinger   5 years ago

    it's cute when they pull back their own curtain.

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  26. Smith_Archer   5 years ago

    Gordon, as i have stated elsewhere, i don’t understand why so many are still enamoured with modern football, perhaps you are to young to remember paying on the gate, terraces, an atmosphere that in some cases had the hairs on the back of your neck up, tinged with a bit of menace! Players who were paid well but still had roots in the community and clubs that while not perfect by any stretch still felt “owned” by the community HERE►Check my site.

  27. LauraZ 2   5 years ago

    Has ever university administrator in this country lost their minds??

  28. IndependentTexan   5 years ago

    The non-POC gathering will be held in the UM-Dearborn dining hall. The BIPOC gathering will be held just outside the kitchen door, around back.

    Unbelievable.

  29. Enquirer   5 years ago

    As alluded to in other comments, the term “non-person of color”, meaning “white”, could be seen as whites are “non-persons”, i.e. are not full human beings, and are therefore not entitled to the legal rights accorded humans, and so can be treated differently - meaning badly.

  30. juffa_ema   5 years ago

    I have been working from home for 4 years now and I love it. I don’t have a boss standing over my shoulder and I make my own hours. The tips below are very informative and anyone currently working from home or planning to in the future could use these.Make 5000 bucks every month… Start doing online computer-based work through our website. READ MORE

  31. Vernon Depner   5 years ago

    Building the Wall, virtually.

  32. JoeB   5 years ago

    Telling the well-armed 80% of the population that they are by nature oppressors, takers, and slavers, and that they cannot change or control their violent nature, may not work out so well for the remaining 13% in the long run. Just sayin'.

    1. Tony   5 years ago

      You people with your constant dickless threats of mass racial violence is not a good argument for why you should be able to own a lot of guns. Just saying.

  33. Tony   5 years ago

    I would think that voluntary race segregation would get a thumbs-up from this crowd. It certainly does when you're arguing against the reforms of the civil rights era. Now that whites are being excluded from a space they wouldn't even have any reason to be in, everyone is talking like a SJW. How fucking curious is that.

    1. TJJ2000   5 years ago

      "I would think" = Projection. What amazes this crowd (I'd assume) is the ability for left-thinkers to project their very own faults onto everything but themselves.

      DNC the party of slavery champions Civil Rights??? The exact same Civil Rights they fought a Civil War against it. DNC the party of ending Women suffrage??? The exact same Women's suffrage they filibustered to keep from passing. DNC the party of liberty??? The exact same party who compulsively claims ending liberty for the "common good"...

      The list goes on-and-on-and-on endlessly... Join the party of liars, projectionists, slavery and theft. There's a reason 80% of the prison population is in prison.

      1. TJJ2000   5 years ago

        correction "80% of the prison population is Democrat"

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