Sep 15, 2006

FIRE Shines the Spotlight on Bellevue

by Liberty and Power

The decision of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) to take on an academic freedom case at Bellevue Community College in Washington is welcome news. A byproduct is to publicize the many abuses inflicted by the college's program of mandatory diversity training.

As already discussed here, the college has signed a contract with Glenn Singleton's firm, Pacific Educational Group, which typically receives six figures for its"diversity training" services. Part of the deal is a requirement that faculty attend"Courageous Conservations" seminars on racism.

In addition to ensuring a captive audience to hear Singleton's peculiar interpretation of Huckleberry Finn, these seminars invite comparisons to the methods used during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. For example, participants in"Courageous Conversations" typically have to humiliate themselves by wearing signs showing numerical scores that reveal the extent of their alleged racism.

Hopefully, the new publicity will lead the faculty at Bellevue Community College to finally say enough is enough and tell Singleton and his associates to pack up and go home.

More Comments:

Anna Shook Ghonim - 9/15/2006

If you want to raise awareness about the extent of subconscious racism that may exist among privileged groups, how is shaming them going to accomplish this?

It seems to me that the most likely outcome is that they will be all that more racist/angry against minorities as a result.

Common Sense - 9/15/2006

Love the juxtaposition with the Maoist Cultural Revolution. Anyone know what those signs say? I can guess the gist, but perhaps someone could translate.

Of course, the CR was far more harmful than diversity training, but the comparison highlights some similarities of kind if not scale.