A college in North Carolina forced student-athletes to watch a video that considers all white people to be racist.
Davidson College had athletes watch a video titled, “I’m Not Racist … Am I?” that explains why all white people are allegedly “racist,” according to The Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse, an alumni-run organization which shared its findings with The College Fix.
“In one clip of the film that we uncovered, is the unequivocal repetition that all white people are racist, and people of color cannot be racist,” the group said. “The students whom we have spoken [to] about this film fount it offensive, divisive, and personally insulting,” they added.
In one clip of the video shared on social media by Steve McGuire, the individual lecturing young students uses the equation “race prejudice plus power equals racism.” He then describes “power” as “the legitimate and collective control or access to those systems sanctioned by the state.”
One young female who was a member of the small audience comprised of minorities, interjected by stating, “I don’t think that racism is only white people being racist against like, other, like minorities. I think minorities can be racist against white people too.”
“Are we talking about individual meanness or collective power?” the white man leading the group asked. “We would call that bigotry, we wouldn’t call that racism,” he answered. He also told the group listening to him that “We never define what white is,” and added, “We would also say that it’s only white people that could be racist, that are racist, and that people of color cannot be.”
“So racism isn’t used when people are prejudiced against whites because of the history?” another female in the group inquired.
“Because of the power,” the male leading the group responded. “It’s the power and the access to all of these systems.” He then asked who comes to mind when the students hear the word “racist.” Among the answers were, “rednecks,” and “conservatives.”
The alumni group, The Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse, expressed concerns that the video would cause tension between student-athletes at the college. “Will those teammates classified as ‘the oppressed’ and ‘the oppressor’ continue to trust and respect each other?” the group asked.
“We were concerned that the endorsement of such a film by the Athletic Department could signal to the scholar-athletes what views the institution does, and does not require, and thus have a silencing effect on them,” the organization added.
Davidson College responded to these concerns in an email sent to The College Fix, stating, “Students encounter many ideas, perspectives, and beliefs about the world at college, and even though a reading or event is assigned, that does not mean that anyone at the college expects students to agree with every idea they encounter.”
“Learning – and teamwork – is about exploring different ideas, countering with better ones, and expanding knowledge,” the statement concluded.
