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Special Snowflakes Run Amok
The New York Times recently published an article that provides a glimpse into the microaggression movement currently infecting college campuses. The article profiles Sheree Marlowe, the chief diversity officer at Clark University, where she teaches incoming freshmen how to identify and avoid microaggressions. Here are a few tips Marlowe provided to the students attending one of her recent “training” sessions:
- Don’t ask an Asian student you don’t know for help on your math homework.
- Don’t say “you guys.” It could be interpreted as leaving out women.
- Don’t randomly ask a black student if he plays basketball.
- Don’t’ show surprise when a “feminine” woman says she is a lesbian.
- Don’t say “Everyone can succeed in this society if they work hard enough.” (This is a microinvalidation.)
Marlowe knows her stuff. Just ask her. Or does she? Consider this exchange she had with a student:
But some students appeared slightly confused.
“When you use the term ‘self-identify’ as a white woman, are you saying that you can choose your race?” one white male student asked.
“I’ll give you an example,” Ms. Marlowe said. “I went to a conference. I was talking to this man. I thought he was black. I was talking about diversity and social justice.”
“He said, ‘I’m Cuban,’” Ms. Marlowe told the crowd. “I assumed he was black because he was the same skin complexion as me, and the same type of hair.”
The student still seemed confused.
“Maybe we can unpack it afterward,” Ms. Marlowe told the student. “You want to come see me afterward?”
Run, kid. Run fast, run far, and don’t look back.
Marlowe does not seem to understand the difference between race and nationality, despite her fancy title and, likely, six-figure salary. Let me help her: Cuba is a country. A person can be Cuban and black in the same way a person can be Canadian and black. One would think the chief diversity officer at a university would know this but, well, it is 2016.
Where did all of this madness start? As the father of a 7th grader, I can tell you it starts much earlier than college. Since my daughter returned to school nine days ago, the school has had two bullying symposiums. They also have a full-day bullying seminar next week. One of her daily classes is a 30-minute meeting where they talk about — what else? — bullying.
I went to parent night a few days before the start of school and I was dumfounded by the amount of anti-bullying signs in the school. I was in one small area of the school, and I counted 15 anti-bullying posters. Not a single poster of Washington, Lincoln, the Declaration, the Constitution, or anything related to founding principles of our country. It was just anti-bullying stuff.
It is all part of the same movement. A movement that is headed toward what exactly, I am not sure. But I am sure Marlowe is proud of her work. This is the future that she and others like her want. No dead white guys on the walls at the schools. And the kids softened up by a toxic mixture of victimhood and guilt in which they are encouraged to react to even the slightest unintentional comment.
It’s a brave new world, folks.
Published in Culture, Education
How many actual instances of bullying have there been?
Ha, I jokingly ask my daughter that every day. So far, none that she knows of. But they are on the lookout for it. Oh they’ll be ready if/when it happens!
Actually, it happens every day and begins when the students walk in the door until they get home at night. The school system – the teachers, the administrators – are bullying the children with their moral superiority and their progressive politics.
Just like the biggest sexual harassment in the military comes from the Pentagon and is directed at the troops.
These people need to be cut off at the knees.
Yeah, they’ll double the number of assemblies and seminars.
What is Ms. Marlow paid I wonder for sowing such neurotic drivel?
Six figures you say?
Freshmen! Not “first years.” I wouldn’t expect anything less from the misogynistic, patriarchal, sexist culture that is rampant across the culture today.
I wonder how one qualifies for the position of “chief diversity officer.” I guess that you’d have to be a bisexual, multi-racial, trans-man.
This is what identity politics have made at American colleges. These students are the world’s most pampered bunch in history and they’re all indulged in their indestructible sense of victimhood.
That’s why Hillsdale or Grove City College or any of the handful of Thomas Sowell approved schools should be on our list. Any bets Hillsdale doesn’t have a moron employed who doesn’t know the difference between nationality and race?
Nice post. I’ll have my posts with a good portion of indignation and sarcasm please. Thank you.
I am glad to see my alma mater leading the way in addressing these dire societal inequities. I have, however, two questions for Ms Marlowe:
The word “chief” in her title carries overtones of patriarchal hierarchy. Does she think this would be perceived as threatening and aggressive by students, particularly those vulnerable fresh(persons)?
Did she “self-identify” as chief diversity officer?
One of the things that so… telling about this is how group-focused this identity stuff is. It’s not a crime to make an incorrect assumption about the person; rather, it’s that you’ve misidentified what tribe(s) they belong to.
Tribal identity is baked-into our nature but it really does not need encouragement, especially from leftists.
You know, there are moments when I want to express some modicum of sympathy for this sort of thing on the grounds that — regardless of my previous comment — a little self-policing, sensitivity, and open-mindedness can be good things. But then I read something like this:
And all the comparisons to commie reeducation camps and self-denouncement ceremonies flood back.
Notice, also that Martinez is — well, I presume — a woman and apparently suffered no harm from her micro-aggressing. But it’s still wrong.
Heh.
Seriously, the way these people think, we’re either expected to interact in the most neutered (pun intended) language possible or to spend twenty-five minutes explaining our various identities before actually conversing.
God forbid we treat each other as people.
These kids are going to be crushed by their international competition.
Microfactioning of the one into the many.
It’s also disrespectful of North America’s Aboriginal population…
Because you fail to recognize the relative power relationships between our group identities, that is an offensive and threatening suggestion. I am now underneath my desk.
Methinks Sheree Marlowe should drop by the Campus Health Services facility, ask the Mental Health Professional for access to a copy of their DSM-5, key word search- ‘Psychological projection‘
I think one enters the field as a “Petty Diversity Officer” and then if they are really good at it, and don’t micro-aggress anyone they get promoted to “Chief”.
What until you try to manage a few of them. I find it nearly impossible to get my young engineers to show up to work before 10…or at all. Push back and I get advice like this from HR: “you can’t expect everyone to live up to your standard of engagement”.
I really gotta find another field.
Nothing brave about it.
Talk about mis-interpreting a tribe….I was getting my hair done at a nice salon years ago in Wellesley, MA. I loved the hair stylist who did my hair – she was very flamboyant and animated when she talked, funny as could be, and her long black overly curly-wavy hair went all over the place when she spoke. She had a very prominent nose as well. As I was leaving the salon, I waved to her across the salon, and since it was holiday time without giving it a second thought, said Happy Hanukkah! She looked at me and said “I know I wear the map of Israel on my face, but I’m not Jewish, I’m Italian!” She burst out laughing, then I laughed and so did everyone. I have to say I have not done that since……but it was so taken in stride and a funny moment – I am not sure what would happen today!
There is good advice in some (though not all) of these items. But in the old days, people would figure this stuff out by interacting with other people. College used to be a place where people of different backgrounds got together, often for the first time, and had opportunities to learn these things directly.
When students are bullied into correct-speak by the central administration, that goes contrary to everything a university education is good for.
And the way these anti-bullying campaigns are being carried on nowadays is in itself a form of micro-aggressive bullying. This needs to be pointed out. Use Alinsky tactics. Make these people live up to their own standards.
Does anyone actually do that? Walk up to a random stranger (asian or otherwise) and ask for help on homework?
If it saves even zero children, it’s worth it.
Exactly. In 30 years, the snowflake generation can tell the Chinese that their world dominance is causing hurt feelings. But I don’t think the Chinese will care.
It’s a silly and cowardly new world.
So true. My daughter told me they watched a video at school that gave advice on things like what to do if someone is playing their music too loud on the bus. The advice was to report it to the bus driver. So I asked her, why not just ask the person to turn it down? That’s how we did it back in the day. And if the person refused, you’d have to work it out. Its called conflict resolution. But today, they are being taught to retreat to safe spaces.