Public University Faces Backlash Over ‘Problem Of Whiteness’ Course

Arizona St. University now offers a course called "The Problem of Whiteness."

Student James Malone raises this issue:

Student James Malone told Campus Reform that such a course “shows the significant double standard of higher education institutions,” noting that the school “would never allow a class talking about the problem of blackness.”

Source

Simple question:

Is it racist to offer a course called "The Problem of Whiteness?"

Would it be racist if the course was called, "The Problem of Blackness?"

Would you take out a student loan so you could take this course?

a reply to: Jamie1


It sure is racist and not by accident. Sounds like a 1936 German university class......"the problem with Jews".

a reply to: Jamie1

Sounds like a pretty useless course. Should be called "Problem of Humanity". Sounds like a bad money-making class at a less-than good university. Arizona State isn't even a great school. Notice how no private colleges have courses like that.

Basically, I don't care if it is racist or not. I'm a mutt anyway even if I look white. Race doesn't matter. Call the class w/e still doesn't change that the school's rank sucks and that this is just a ploy for them to get more people to attend.

a reply to: Logarock

Sounds like a 1936 German university class......"the problem with Jews".

Exactly what I thought (have been thinking for some time now, given all the "white privilege" nonsense)

originally posted by: Logarock
a reply to: Jamie1


It sure is racist and not by accident. Sounds like a 1936 German university class......"the problem with Jews".

That's exactly what came to mind when I read it.

That and Joseph Goebells.

"To attract people, to win over people to that which I have realized as being true, that is called propaganda".

originally posted by: Logarock
a reply to: Jamie1


It sure is racist and not by accident. Sounds like a 1936 German university class......"the problem with Jews".

oh look more education that teaches hate.........what a surprise ....

But you gotta remember just last week me and my whole family were out whipping all the slaves while laughing at the disgusting amount of money i made last fiscal year from selling a couple of slaves at a high price/end sarcasm.

Im getting sick of seeing this type of news the double standard is strong. I mean come on "the problem with whiteness"???? ive said it before i do not/will not/never will feel guilty for something that happened so long ago that not even my lineage can be associated with it.i agree its probably just a ploy to get more people to sign up to their failing institution. Im gettin real sick of hearing all this white privilege BS also. if im so privileged why have i been unemployed for so long? why am i on welfare? Never once in my life have i ever benefited from being white, quite the opposite really there have been a few times im about 96% sure that my whiteness has worked against me. Then here come the group that will tell me "there now you know how it feels" blah blah blah.All this racism everywhere is giving me a migraine constantly. i dont know but this course sounds pretty stupid and i wouldn't mind seeing the syllabus for the course so i can have a really good laugh.

Why are they even offering such useless courses ? no wonder college grads cant get jobs ... they waste time and money studying useless # thats worthless in the real world ..

Unless some of you can prove some sort of Supremacist reasoning behind this then the Nazi comparison is hyperbolic nonsense.



People need to stop equating things with Nazism that are nothing to do with supremacy and genocide...

It's a god damn insult to all the people the Nazis massacred.

It shows the failing quality of US education.

From your source:

The university explained Bebout’s class “uses literature and rhetoric to look at how stories shape people’s understanding and experiences of race” while encouraging “students to examine how people talk about – or avoid talking about – race in the contemporary United States.”

Students can expect to “draw on history, literature, speeches and cultural changes – from scholarly texts to humor,” the statement continued, noting the class “is designed to empower students to confront the difficult and often thorny issues that surround us today and reach thoughtful conclusions rather than display gut reactions.”

So that's the course. The name of it, poorly chosen mind you, really doesn't have much to do with it.

As always, people find things of no consequence to be outraged about, just so they can bring up race in a conversation.

~Tenth

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs

The seed of hatred and indemnification of a whole race of people at institutions of academia is one of the first steps on the road to getting a society against a specific group of people. So actually, as someone who has a Masters degree in German Literature and has studied in detail how the Nazis rose to power, the comparison is quite accurate.

You're ignorance of the fact that genocide is made possible by an evolution and legitimization of hate rhetoric is what is disgraceful. Ignorance and silence in the face of such BS is what makes something like Nazism possible.

originally posted by: Rabb420
But you gotta remember just last week me and my whole family were out whipping all the slaves while laughing at the disgusting amount of money i made last fiscal year from selling a couple of slaves at a high price/end sarcasm.

Im getting sick of seeing this type of news the double standard is strong. I mean come on "the problem with whiteness"???? ive said it before i do not/will not/never will feel guilty for something that happened so long ago that not even my lineage can be associated with it.i agree its probably just a ploy to get more people to sign up to their failing institution. Im gettin real sick of hearing all this white privilege BS also. if im so privileged why have i been unemployed for so long? why am i on welfare? Never once in my life have i ever benefited from being white, quite the opposite really there have been a few times im about 96% sure that my whiteness has worked against me. Then here come the group that will tell me "there now you know how it feels" blah blah blah.All this racism everywhere is giving me a migraine constantly. i dont know but this course sounds pretty stupid and i wouldn't mind seeing the syllabus for the course so i can have a really good laugh.

Here's one book from the course - The Everyday Language of White Racism:




From the book...

"White American racism is an inspiration to racists globally..."

This is more like indoctrination than education.

I mean, how does this woman who wrote this book claim something like this? Data? Research?

Her book is racist in itself.

originally posted by: CharlieSpeirs
Unless some of you can prove some sort of Supremacist reasoning behind this then the Nazi comparison is hyperbolic nonsense.



People need to stop equating things with Nazism that are nothing to do with supremacy and genocide...

It's a god damn insult to all the people the Nazis massacred.

No, Muslims slaughtering Jews just because they're Jewish is an affront to Jews -not somebody's opinion on an internet forum that this course is racist.

In fact, the entire course degrades whites, of which Jews are a subset. Jews are part of who is being targeted by this course.

a reply to: SonOfThor

I'll let the ad hominem slide because I don't think you've read Tenth's post above yours!!!


There is no agenda...
There is no hatred...
There is no supremacy...



The course has nothing to do with anything you're crying about.
& it's likely a course to attract White people to look at their own history with a more open mind rather than with the blinders of the "saviour race"...



Now, away with you, and take your fraudulent comparison & degree with you.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

As always, people find things of no consequence to be outraged about, just so they can bring up race in a conversation.

You need to read this again....

originally posted by: SonOfThor


The seed of hatred and indemnification of a whole race of people at institutions of academia is one of the first steps on the road to getting a society against a specific group of people. So actually, as someone who has a Masters degree in German Literature and has studied in detail how the Nazis rose to power, the comparison is quite accurate.

You're ignorance of the fact that genocide is made possible by an evolution and legitimization of hate rhetoric is what is disgraceful. Ignorance and silence in the face of such BS is what makes something like Nazism possible.

a reply to: Jakal26

I fail to see how this relates in any way to Nazism.

That's some hyperbolic, ridiculousness. The course is poorly named. They aren't actively teaching that white folk are racist, they are discussing historical events related to race and perceptions in today's society.

Universities are supposed to be a place where common thought is challenged and that all manner of topics be investigated, studied and looked at.



~Tenth

a reply to: Jamie1

What have Muslims & Jews got to do with anything I said?


The Nazis didn't just kill Jews, & I'm sure you're smart enough to know that!!!



Secondly, Jews come in all colours...
Study a bit of history of the Tribes and you'd understand that!




Your faux outrage at a course, which is only really slightly offensive in name, not in practice is what's wrong with the world at the moment.

This course isn't about Supremacy in the slightest, Tenth's post explained that...
The Nazis were all about Supremacy...
It's a "false equivalency"


& I wouldn't be surprised if the course was a White man's idea...
Its definitely being taught by a White teacher.

Faux outrage is faux outrage.

"This course uses literature and rhetoric to look at how stories shape people's understandings and experiences of race. It encourages students to examine how people talk about – or avoid talking about – race in the contemporary United States. This is an interdisciplinary course, so students will draw on history, literature, speeches and cultural changes – from scholarly texts to humor. The class is designed to empower students to confront the difficult and often thorny issues that surround us today and reach thoughtful conclusions rather than display gut reactions. A university is an academic environment where we discuss and debate a wide array of viewpoints."

I don't see the Supremacy you're all crying about!

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs

"This course uses literature and rhetoric to look at how stories shape people's understandings and experiences of race. It encourages students to examine how people talk about – or avoid talking about – race in the contemporary United States. This is an interdisciplinary course, so students will draw on history, literature, speeches and cultural changes – from scholarly texts to humor. The class is designed to empower students to confront the difficult and often thorny issues that surround us today and reach thoughtful conclusions rather than display gut reactions. A university is an academic environment where we discuss and debate a wide array of viewpoints."

Is nothing but word play...
Here...let me interpret.

"This course uses rhetoric to shape people's understandings and experiences with whitey. Whitey is the cause of every gd ill in the world and cannot be reasoned with. Whitey is the devil and seeks to own EVERYTHING (and only whitey does this....when others do it, it isn't the same)......We must KILL WHITEY....there is no other way!"

.....that's what the f's that came up with this course meant to say.

a reply to: CharlieSpeirs

I don't think you actually know the definition of ad hominem, but I will let THAT slide. I won't let you dismiss me from some elitist perspective and declare my higher education fraudulent. That is a direct attack on my character that has nothing to do with the discussion here. Pretty common argumentative tool actually, when logic and facts aren't on your side. What gives you the right to talk to people that way?

I did read Tenth's post. The course description talks about using literature and rhetoric to discuss thorny race issues in today's society. Well when the context of the course before you even step foot in the classroom is the "White problem" you would have to be a fool to not read between the lines of the course description. There absolutely is an agenda here. In fact, higher education is in itself a beacon of the Liberal agenda. I know because I left academia because I had no desire to publish on topics such as gender studies and socialism.

The supremacy can be observed in the fact that racism is being viewed through a lens of a "white problem" and that the students are at the mercy of their professor for grades (and the impact on their GPA), I would say that is indeed a system of supremacy.