Deconstructing UMass Boston's Anti-Racism Resources
Deconstructing UMass Boston's Anti-Racism Resources
Bound to leave you rich in knowledge and poor in cash
When UMass Boston’s Leaders declared the university a “leading anti-racist and health promoting university” in 2020 they were quick to create a resource page where everyone can EDUCATE HIM/HERSELF on this utmost important subject.
The page opens by (emphasis ours):
In response to ongoing police brutality, systemic racism, and white supremacy, it is (and has been) necessary for us to step forward and put in the work to dismantle these oppressive systems and structures that unequivocally and disproportionately impact not only our UMB students, but our local communities as well. Additionally, we cannot lose momentum and it is our responsibility to ensure that we continue these difficult conversations, and more importantly, the work associated with them.
UMass Boston students have done much to forward this tiring but important work, and we as faculty and staff can do more to support them and this work. It is imperative to support them by showing up and committing to the mission of UMass Boston. We must use our platforms for good.
This, combined with our Provost’s never-changing message about our renewed dedication to anti-racism and his call to oppose the whiteness that has, and continues, to dominate and define higher education writ large, probably means that it is imperative to dismantle the oppressive system that is higher education.
We’re already working hard to achieve this noble goal, at the end of which we’ll find ourselves out of a job. But in the mean time we can entertain ourselves with a rich reading list to help fight dangerous and extremist ideas from white supremacists likes of John McWhorter, Glenn Loury, the Free Black Thought gang and Thomas Sowell, to name a few.
It is even more important now, in light of the recent events that show us that decolonization is not a metaphor and that we must put our money where are mouths are.
Topping the list is no other than St. Kendi and his book “How to be an Antiracist”. It is especially important to support him by reading his gospel now, when the media is engaged in so much blasphemy and persecution against him and the holy Church of anti-racism.
If, on the other hand, you are white and you want to learn about the daily damage you cause people of color every time, all the time, just by existing, pick Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility”.
If you don’t feel like reading you can listen to the 1619 podcast, because only racists and white supremacists think our country was founded in 1776.
After you’ve filled your brain, it’s time to empty your pockets. The page contains a list of organizations and causes to donate to.
You can donate to Black Lives Matter if you want to help the organizers buy luxury mansions. They need a nice place where they can plan their mostly peaceful protests and maybe help purchase paragliders for Hamas child killers warriors.
If you have some cash left, you want to toss a few bucks in the direction of “Color of change” , a racial justice organization whose goal, among others, is to “dismantle right wing and white nationalist politics”, as we all know the two are one and the same.
The page promises to regularly update the list of anti-racism resources, but it seems that the list updates at the same pace the Provost updates his convocation speeches, or at the same pace as our campus construction.
On the other hand, maybe they’re just waiting for Ibram X. Kendi’s sequel best-seller, running title: “How to attract many millions in donations to establish a high profile anti-racism center only to run it to the ground in a few short years”.
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