A renowned university has found itself in the midst of a scandal after forbidding any white students from participating in its Black History Month festivities. Those who oppose this decision argue that it is creating racial segregation at a time when cohesion is more crucial than ever. Although some students were disappointed, the University of Westminster communicated that Black History Month events would only be “reserved for Black students to encourage a safe space for discussions and honest conversations.”
However, white students insisted on being included too, so they could learn about how their ancestors’ enslavement of Black and brown people has caused immeasurable pain throughout history.
A social anthropology professor at Edinburgh University, Dr. Neil Thin was one of the few people to voice dissent about the decision – he called it “tragic.” His belief is that the University of Westminster in London copied a bad idea from racially segregated education systems like those seen in South Africa and USA.
It is unclear which events white students will be excluded from during Black History Month, though the calendar boasts many fun and interesting things like film screenings, dance nights, and history lectures.
Dr. Thin stated: “It is bitterly ironic to see the rhetoric of ‘safe spaces’ abused to justify racial segregation. Nothing is more likely to make social spaces unsafe than this kind of willful sowing of interethnic suspicion and division.”
The University of Westminster’s student union recently put on an event for Black History Month with Zoe Garsh, the brains behind Ms. Independent – a website intended to help young women navigate their careers.
The caption reads: “This is a Black History Month event, but ALL students are welcome! Be sure not to miss out.”
Toby Young, leader of the Free Speech Union, thinks that the individuals who banned white students from attending are “zealots” and misguided. They’re not understanding the bigger picture of what’s happening in society.
“At some point, you’d think it would be clear to these zealots that you’re not going to reduce racial discrimination by discriminating against people on the basis of their race, but they’re so blinkered by ideological groupthink they cannot see this glaring contradiction,” Young stated.
The University of Westminster’s Student Union has not issued a comment yet. The university did provide a spokesman who said, however: “One of the university’s key Black Lives Matter commitments was to eliminate all gaps associated with success measures for all BME students. Black History Year Create, an intensive career-defining program aimed at addressing disparities among black students, does exactly that.”
“Equality of opportunity does not always mean giving everyone access to the same thing; it means creating a level playing field by offering some programs to those who are underrepresented or those who have had less access to opportunity.”
Should white students be included or excluded from Black History Month festivities?
