#WhiteSupremacy and Higher Ed

Last updated on: August 13, 2017 at 2:02 pm by Guest Contributor

#WhiteSupremacy and Higher Ed 2017-08-13T14:02:22-05:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

by Jayanni Webster

As a labor organizer for a higher education union, I feel it’s important to draw attention to the fact that our college and university campuses have become notable spaces for contestation by white supremacists / white nationalists. Perhaps it’s always been this way, right? But we cannot ignore the university and college as an important site to defend in this moment. We cannot ignore that many campuses are experiencing for the first time public and vivid propaganda for white nationalism. 107 incidents of anti-Muslim, anti-Black and anti-gay propaganda by these groups have appeared since the start of this academic year.

They are recruiting white students, and administrators are behind the curve in addressing the matter. ALEC and the NRA are funding politicians to push campus carry bills across the country to allow staff and students to carry firearms. A bill allowing full-time employees to carry has already passed here in Tennessee. That’s why I believe an independent organization (a union) for faculty and staff is so important, esp. to address the critical issues we face.

But listen …

What’s at stake when it comes to institutions of higher education is of importance to all of us. Higher ed plays a role in checking and restoring democracy in many communities and states across this country. Its employees from the tenured professor all the way up to the custodian contribute to creating and nurturing an environment that is a microcosm of the country itself that can mirror and tell us things about ourselves and also offer solutions to systemic problems. White nationalists are targeting higher ed and attacking academic freedom just as Nazis did in Germany because they understand this. They also understand that people of color organizers and white anti-racists who are leading movements of social change across the country are coming out of these institutions.

And to be clear I’m not romanticizing higher ed. Lord knows we’ve got a lot to change and neo-liberalism in higher ed should also be considered a threat. But again, the university is a microcosm of the country. So we gotta consider it an important site to organize and fight for.

The fanatic white nationalist organization “alt-right” marched on UVA’s campus, dredging up imagery of black and white photos of Klansman and women carrying torches to terrorize Black people. Their “leaders” speak on campuses to debate the merit of hate speech as free speech. UC Berkeley canceled their event only to be threatened by Trump to pull federal funding. White nationalist are planning a “white lives matter” protest at Texas A&M September 11. White supremacist legislators in Tennessee succeeded in bullying the largest university in our state (UTK) into defunding the LGBTQ resource center and silencing and removing the first ever vice chancellor of diversity. And recently announced, the Trump administration is hoping to pursue suing schools for “anti-white” bias.

We have to resist white supremacist from gaining anymore ground in higher education and kick them out where they have succeeded.

Jayanni Webster is a labor organizer in Tennessee.

Donate to the Work of R3

Like the work we do at Rhetoric Race and Religion? Please consider helping us continue to do this work. All donations are tax-deductible through Gifts of Life Ministries/G’Life Outreach, a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, and our fiscal sponsor. Any donation helps. Just click here to support our work.

Previous Post

August 13, 2017

Reflections on #Charlottesville-Part 1

Next Post

August 15, 2017 Dear White Church Leaders: A Letter from a White Minister

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Amy Steele Andre E. Johnson Book Reviews/Series Brian Foulks Call for Chapters Carol Howard Merritt Classes Conferences Contributors Crystal St.Marie Lewis Daniel White Hodge Earle Fisher Eulogy Fredrick Robinson Guest Contributions Henry McNeal Turner Institutes Interviews Joseph Boston Katherine Whitfield Kimberly Peeler-Ringer Lectures/Roundtables Natalie Bullock Brown R3 Book Series R3 Contributor Rashad Grove Readers Reflections Symposiums Teaching Traci Ellis Travis Harris Uncategorized Video

Select a Month June 2020 February 2020 December 2019 November 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 October 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz