The University of Michigan at Dearborn introduced both “whites only” and “non-white” online zoom call “cafes.” The purpose of these online cafes was for students to engage with each other socially during a time of online-only classes. For the sake of keeping up with “woke” culture, U of M wanted to be as racially sensitive as possible. Their solution to any questions of racial tolerance was to create “safe” spaces for the “BIPOC” and “NON-POC” communities. What they wound up doing was simply hopping into a time machine to relive ugly parts of American history.
Sorry Not Sorry
The University of Michigan released a statement where they essentially apologized for the marketing of the zoom calls, but not necessarily the zoom calls themselves. If the “BIPOC” call by itself was listed and not the “NON-POC” call, then there wouldn’t be much controversy. It is now commonplace to have racially segregated areas of a college, including dormitories. If a “space” is mostly white, it cannot be defined as that, and if it is then it will be attacked as racist immediately. The problem is, racial segregation is racial segregation regardless of which race is segregated. To think otherwise is… in fact… racist.
Black College Racism?
Historically Black Colleges exist but they are not racist in nature as the “BIPOC” and “NON-POC” online cafes are at U of M. HBCUs, as they’re known by more commonly, are historically black, not exclusively black. Some HBCUs, like West Virginia State University and Bluefield State College, are now majority white. BSU is over 90% white but it still maintains its status as an HBCU. People of any background are allowed to apply and there not, and cannot be any rules stating anything otherwise.
All HBCUs were founded long before the Civil Rights Movement, with many of them forming around the end of slavery in the mid-1800s. American Baptist College in Nashville applied to become an HBCU in 2013, but it was founded in 1924. Black colleges were a necessity due to legal segregation which physically forced blacks and whites into separate K-12 and also higher education. Those days are long behind us now so there is no reason to create new “spaces” where only specific races are invited.
New Age Wokeness Is Old School Racism
This debacle is simple the result of new-age “woke” culture which is a revitalization of old, tired, racist ideas. In the name of fighting against injustice, over-educated (indoctrinated) people have returned to the very same ways of thinking that sparked prior injustices. The Civil Rights movement was great for its time, though flawed like anything else is. Much of what the movement addressed back in 1965 no longer exists. Such as “poll taxes” in the Voting Rights Act. There may not be a need to repeat the Civil Rights Act, but it might be time to look back on it and start a new movement to address the new issues of today. All because of some people that do not understand their past and are doomed to repeat it.
SOURCES:
UM-Dearborn criticized for creating segregated online student ‘cafes’
University of Michigan-Dearborn apologizes for segregated online “cafes” – CBS News
UM-Dearborn apologizes after it promoted a ‘Non-POC Cafe’ so white people could talk about their white feelings | News Hits
University of Michigan Dearborn Holds Whites-Only Virtual ‘Cafe’ Event | National Review
University of Michigan – Dearborn responds to controversy over ‘white cafe’ for non-persons of color
Historically Black Colleges Are Becoming More White | Time
The Whitest Historically Black College In America : Code Switch : NPR
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