Smith College whistleblower hits campus Critical Race Theory indoctrination: “Stop reducing my personhood to a racial category”
Staff member Jodi Shaw: “Stop demanding that I admit to White Privilege and work on my so-called Implicit Bias as a condition of my continued employment.”
Smith College is a very leftist women’s college in central Massachusetts. As with many colleges and universities around the country, it is implementing Critical Race Theory (“CRT”) training, including how students, faculty, administrators, and staff should deal with their “white privilege.”
One staff member has just gone public, revealing the insulting and discriminatory nature of such CRT training. She released a video on YouTube, which has led to the expected reaction, including a statement from the President of Smith College denouncing the staff member’s views, but promising not to fire her over it, because the statements were made off campus and the staff member has union job protection.
The Video
Meet Jodi Shaw. Shaw is a Smith College alumna; she works for Smith College as a Student Support Coordinator; she is white; and, on October 27, 2020, she released a video on YouTube entitled “Dear Smith College: I Have a Few Requests”.
Shaw begins her video by stating that her race should not be relevant, but Smith College “has made it clear over and over and over again that not only is it relevant, but it’s possibly one of the most important…if not, the most important, feature of me, as a human.”
Here are some of her requests of Smith College:
- “Stop reducing my personhood to a racial category.”
- “Stop telling me what I must think and feel about myself, because I feel like you do that a lot. I know you do that a lot…and I need you to stop…”
- “Stop presuming to know who I am or what my culture is based upon my skin color…”
- “Stop asking me to project stereotypes and assumptions onto others based upon their skin color, because I feel like that’s what you [have] asked me to do incessantly over and over again for the past three years, and I’m not going to do that. I don’t think it’s right.”
- “Stop telling me young women of color have no power or agency in this world, because that’s not true.”
- “Stop telling me that young white women have power and privilege over everyone else—equally not true.”
- “Stop demanding that I admit to White Privilege and work on my so-called Implicit Bias as a condition of my continued employment.”
- “Stop telling me that as a white person, I am, quote, ‘especially responsible for doing the work of dismantling racism.'”
- “Stop emboldening students to act abusively toward staff by refusing to hold them accountable for their own egregious behavior.”
- “Last[ly], we have the right to work in an environment free from the ever-present terror that any unverified student allegation of racism or any other “-ism” has to crush our reputations, ruin our livelihood, and even endanger the physical safety of ourselves or our family.”
And that’s not all. Shaw alludes to the fact that she or her colleagues have been mistreated by students, and Smith College has either encouraged or permitted this behavior, stating, “And, I think we all know what I’m talking about.”
Shaw appears to be referring to a 2018 incident, where a black student accused a custodial staff member of racism for calling Campus Police. The staff member eventually was exonerated, as Inside Higher Ed reported:
Smith College released a report Monday detailing an independent investigation into a July call to campus police and rejecting the idea that the caller was motivated by clear racial bias. During the call, a Smith College custodial employee reported a black student who was eating lunch and relaxing in the Tyler House residence hall living room. The student “seems to be out of place,” the caller told the dispatcher.
Shaw goes on to note that staff racial composition differs from students or faculty, because staff are hired from the surrounding area, namely Northampton, Massachusetts:
“I think it’s important to mention here that staff are a very different group from faculty and students, and that our racial composition is mostly white people, because staff come from this area, which is a very white area. It’s western Massachusetts, New England; unlike faculty and students, who come from all over the world…If the pool you’re drawing from is mostly white, that’s going to be majority racial composition of that group. It’s a fact. It’s not good or bad. It just is.”
Shaw also balks at the notion of “white privilege”, noting that, as a staff member, her salary is “the equivalent of what it costs to attend Smith for a single semester and falls well-below that of the average faculty member”, including adjunct, associate, assistant, and full professors.
Bravely, Ms. Shaw asserts that other staff members feel similarly, but are afraid to “say it out loud”, claiming “that’s actually part of the problem…the extreme intimidate we are all working under in regards to race.” Shaw contends that Smith College’s narrative that women of color “have not power” and white women “have privilege” are “disempowering” to both groups of women.
She ends her statements with tones reminiscent of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stating the following:
“I believe my value lies in the quality of my work, the goodness of my deeds, the essence of my character and the fullness of my heart, not my skin color.”
Shaw makes it clear that she is making this video as “an effort to organize in the workplace for better working conditions” and encourages staff, faculty, and students to contact her to continue the conversation.
Smith College’s Response
Does Smith College want to continue the conversation? No. Of course, not.
On October, 29, 2020, the President of Smith College, Kathleen McCartney, issued “A Message” in response to Shaw’s Video, indicating that there has been an uproar over Shaw’s video:
Since the video was posted, members of the President’s Cabinet and I have heard from many in the Smith community who disagree strongly with the content of the post. This employee does not speak for the college or any part of the college. Further, we believe the video mischaracterizes the college’s important, ongoing efforts to build a more equitable and inclusive living, learning and working environment.
President McCartney goes on to note that Shaw’s video and statements are protected speech under the National Labor Relations Act (presumably staff have a union) with respect to workplace conditions, noting that employees “have the freedom to criticize the policies and practices of their employer.”
In conclusion, the President panders to her ever-woke audience, stating:
Nevertheless, I am writing to affirm that the President’s Cabinet and I believe we have a moral responsibility to promote racial justice, equity and inclusion at Smith College. To the people of color in our community, please know our commitment is steadfast. And especially to our students of color, please know we are here for you always.
President McCartney does not, however, states that she is going to investigate the hostile work environment, as alleged by Shaw.
What Next?
President Kathleen McCartney’s Message in Response to Shaw’s Video completely misses the mark and simply further demonstrates the elitism present at Smith College. President McCartney is living in an echo chamber, where the concepts of “White Privilege”, “Implicit Bias”, and “Antiracism” are being applauded and reinforced, but never questioned, critiqued, or scrutinized.
Expect more pushback against Shaw. As we know from covering many cases of “cancel culture”, it is likely that Smith College will be waiting for the right opportunity: a slip-up or something they can pin on Shaw as “on campus” conduct. Shaw likely will receive a lot of “silent” support from colleagues, but not a lot of open or “vocal” support.
We will continue to follow this situation.
———————-
Leah M. Baldacci, Esq. is the Investigations Counsel at Legal Insurrections Foundation, Inc.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Diversity.
= lowest common denominator, endless examples of the Peter Principle.
As usual, the standard emphasis by the cancel culture is on DIEversity.
Just as in diarrhea…..
I wonder if Smith College rejected Hillary. Well, why not, most of America has.
Probably not. Wellesley has always been at least as selective as Smith, and Hillary’s honors thesis (unlike Michelle Robinson’s undergrad thesis at Princeton) is intellectually an interesting piece of work. Let’s not underestimate who Trump beat in 2016. Biden isn’t in the same class at all.
Enrollment at Evergreen continues to soar… into the dumpster.
a courageous lady steps forward–unlike so many poseurs in academia, she’s letting the administration/faculty know that it’s not about the money, it’s about doing what’s right
Here are some images of the lily-white Kathleen McCarthy who, as of the time of this comment, has not resigned her position of white power and white privilege, being content to Talk the Talk but not Walk the Walk,
https://www.google.com/search?q=Kathleen+McCartney&client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=tus2&sxsrf=ALeKk03dm1CVRpBJL0KVK_DplN02AROXXg:1604102923457&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjD8L2Hxd3sAhV2gnIEHQ9SBsIQ_AUoAnoECBsQBA&biw=1229&bih=887
PC Officer, “Well done, Madame McCartney, your Credentials of Hypocrisy are intact. You’re free to go for the moment. Vote Biden.”
Wowwwwww.
Put her in a habit, you gotcher Sister Mary Elephant right there.
Yes indeed, another iteration of Diversity for Thee and Not for Me — in all its (almost mysterious, unreasoning, abusive and self-serving, “panoptic” power-enabling) wonder.
Similarly, you knew “there’s something rotten in the State of Denmark” when the 2010 Dem-Lefty House — which, seemingly from above, while magnanimously and miraculously (the mythology ran) bequeathing (read: ordered) the ACA on America’s populace — granted any in Congress the freedom (deprived to all other Americans) to opt out of its slavish and impoverishing, soul-sickening, if not extinction-assuring, chains, and keep their previously, specially contracted, Cadillac-level, private health insurance for themselves and their immediate family.
Neo-Marxist, strong-guy-and-America-despising arch-feminist, I’m guessing, that current president of Smith College; however, perhaps I misread both her aura and kleos and, if so, do so with regrets. On the other hand, what kind of person other than a Leninist-Maoist, 5-Year-Plan-following and conscience-emptied, moral misfit would promote to, and impose the intrinsic-dignity-denying, obnoxious principles and practice of the BLM-demanded CRT onto its faculty, students, and staff?!
There’s possibly going to be a Pontius-Jesus-like tete-a-tete with Jodi Shaw in the offing, we can only hope, however “well” such a private, I can imagine “mutually respectful” meeting of such different-tempered minds is likely to go. From what Jodi is describing, she and Kathleen are very, very different natures and breeds of upright, bipedal, female primates. May the righter, least unreasoning, more dignity-retaining-and-advancing side win.
Hear. Hear
Critical Race Theory
is just what the SLAVE OWNERS Ordered.
And they’ll still rely on state and federal subsidies to fund this bullcrap? I am so sick of having my tax money go to these schools, this must end!
A student at Smith would clearly receive an indoctrination but not an education. It is very hard to suffer the likes of McCartney– attitude and babble. Tuition here is an obvious waste of money, unless there is value in the making of more clueless leftist voters (or rioters) who think Utopia is just over the next hill.
Well, while she’s waiting to be taken down over the inevitable slipup (real or manufactured), would she consider filing a formal hostile work environment lawsuit?
If she isn’t suing she should.
Good point.
“Some institutions have begun to cancel diversity, equity and inclusion programs in response to a Trump order.”
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/10/07/colleges-cancel-diversity-programs-response-trump-order
Trump’s recent executive order prohibiting Critical Race Theory is working its way through the system. INAL, but this EO probably addresses Jodi Shaw’s issues.
When will administrators such as the one cited here ever retreat from their incessant ‘woke’ beliefs? No amount of reason will ever get through. Will it take lawsuits that cost them? Or some other loss of income to fund them? When ‘higher’ education ever ‘learn’?
All organizations reform when they run out of money. They then embrace reality or they cease to exist. Colleges like Smith will cease to exist (as they should) as they have purged all of the “seeds of reality” that are needed for survival. Smith is a parasite that will kill its host. McCartney really is stupid but then there is the Dunning-Kruger effect…
Given the position she has, she is most likely as liberal as they come, which is further proof of what today’s liberal is, a pawn in the revolution toward Marxist ideology, easily exterminated after they played their role in the left’s quest for power.
I find it sad that these people are so un-self aware to the seeds of destruction of themselves that they are sowing. The administrators have turned over true administration of the schools to the students. The students are mentally growing younger while stagnating in their knowledge base. Work ethic is low, so more employers look to hire older people who actually work over these young fools who believe that their college education gives them automatic high pay with great benefits for doing little to no actual work.
I worked for too many years at a University, and the atmosphere for those who work there is oppressive and got worse with each and every year. Administrators promote too many who do not belong in any kind of position of authority, and workplace morale is low and sinking lower every single year. Yet they hold these type of classes you are required to attend to push their political indoctrination so they can pat themselves on the back for their SJW actions.
If you are at all conservative, you keep your mouth shut or they do all they can to destroy you. It is toxic. It shouldn’t be this way, but this is what the left bring you when they have power. And their power is nearly absolute in educational systems.
Critical thinking negates critical race theory, which is the psychological version of “let the capitalists make the rope we use to hang them” but using their gullible and uncritical minds to do it.
Shaw speaks truth to power and power doesn’t want to hear it.
She is fortunate her job is union.
I’d recommend that she use her tuition benefits and take a class or two. That way she can also have a student voice (including via the biased surveys that the administration loves to send out).
One cannot overstate the courage being shown by Ms Shaw. As expected, she is already being marginalized by the school’s administration and no doubt she will be targeted by the perpetually aggrieved and angry segment of the student body. I also expect she will face backlash in her community. Not sure if most readers are familiar with Northampton but it makes Ithaca look sane by comparison. It is basically the Cambridge of Western MA. I expect she will be shunned, or worse, in the “community.”
The complete irony of “Higher Education” using the Lowest Common Denominator (not to mention a false construct) to pander to the ignorant.
While I have some sympathy for Ms. Shaw, what has she done to address the issue, other than make some video? Does she support President Trump’s efforts to do away with critical race theory in the work place? Has she done anything to support Republicans and conservatives in their efforts to push back on socialism and these kinds of things? Or has she just gone along with all of the far left programs until they affected her personally? Because if the latter, she’s also part of the problem.
Never bend the knee to the mob.
What exactly do you expect her to do, other than make this video? What else can she do? What have you done about the situation at her employer, since unlike her they can’t fire you?
Retired from the aerospace industry, I was curious how my former employer was handling the wave of new-hires coming out of college with STEM education and social justice indoctrination.
The CEO of Boeing is on record with comments about long-term systemic racism and the companies response thereto – which if I still worked there, would make my blood boil because in essence, his comments infer that we’re all racist. Least ways, that’s the inevitable conclusion.
As much money as is being donated to social justice causes now, could instead go to a better wage for the employees, insurance benefits, reinvested in the continuing professional education and training of employees, etc. Instead, these various woke special interest groups are “on the payroll” and collect a salary without ever contributing to the core mission of the company – to design and build commercial aircraft and products for the DoD.
In my day, there were various clubs for employees, but they were largely funded by employee contributions through paycheck deduction, such as the computer and photography clubs. One of the few perks was using the company internal mail system to publish newsletters, or using a company provided venue for meetings. Contributions to non-profit organizations was through a ‘good neighbor fund’ which was voluntary as was contributions in the savings bond program. Now it sounds as if the company is donating to causes employees may well object to, in their names, and with de facto confession of employee ‘white guilt’ – basically it’s reparations for alleged ‘systemic’ racism on behalf of current and former employees who built, ran and benefitted from said system.
https://www.boeing.com/features/2020/08/boeing-invests-10-million-to-support-racial-equity-and-social-justice.page
https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/aug/31/costco-boeing-commit-tens-of-millions-to-social-justice-programs/
Rather telling that the uptick in contributions for social justice comes during the riots – like ransom – the antics of grifters Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have gone corporate and 501(c)3.
So glad I’m retired. I can’t imagine the ethics and sensitivity / HR type environment in the corporate world today.
….and over the objectives of shareholders…it is even against the interests of shareholders and the firm itself.
Many of the woke firms will he extinct soon.
I love it — watching and listening to a bona fide, living, awe-inspiring legend: a true, integrity-filled and conscientious, self-identifying LIBERAL!*
To my way of thinking, Jodi probably has harder, more fearless “balls,” as it were, than most millennial and other-aged, sex-based males (and, in a figurative sense, women, including the new-fangled, self-identifying type) today; more Platonic beauty, among other kinds, and more logos, ethos, and pathos in her soul (as well as in her brave, kind, and determined face) than most of the soprano-tenor, opposite-sexed, duo-sung themes of the great Italian operas.
“Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty,” our grossly misled, tyrannized and oppressed, racism-dominated culture is beginning, finally, at last, to free itself of the putrid dreck of broadly New-Leftist-guided CRT!
Go, President Trump — crush the infamy! And off with the bonds of dystopian despair! is the Euripidean cry we hear.
(So, you still believe, there’s no such thing as angels? I’m talking, like, deus ex machina, baby!)
Viva, Jodi Shaw! ‘ Can’t wait for the Sequels. They sound to me like they’ll be compiled, read, and appreciated down the road as a pioneering, culturally historic, blockbusting memoir — in the genre that includes The Letters of St Paul and The Rev Dr MLK’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail, to name just two among other culture-changing greats.
Well, maybe I exaggerate there, albeit inadvertently; but, as we might come to see — later this century, if pretty much all goes the way of the Living God of Liberty and Justice, maybe not.
________________________
* As Dennis Prager so often points out, a Leftist today is not to be confused with a Liberal; for “truth is not a Left-wing value” — like it is, to be sure, for a true (classical), self-identifying, individualistic Liberal, such as Jodi Shaw.
UNC-W’s late spirit, Mike Adams, partially invigorates the person-psyche of Jodi Shaw and thereby, too, now “goes” to, ie, works at, Smith.
Maybe this supplemented, sociopolitical process (Mike Adams, v2.0) will end as well as the Jimmy Stuart-starring film, “Mr Smith Goes to Washington” (1939).
Crush the infamy!
“White privilege” is a racist concept and should be considered as such. It is built on white guilt, yet tells blacks they are inherently inferior and therefore must always be helped.
@Jodi Shaw … Good for you! You speak for many of us. I hope you don’t suffer any repercussions because of this.
I think that every one of her points is validated by Trump’s EO prohibiting funding to colleges practicing Critical Race Theory. The college president’s wholesale rejection of her and her arguments is enough reason to withdraw, for example, student loan guarantees and Pell grant eligibility from students at Smith.
Hopefully a short shot of that would cause a turnover of upper administrators to fix these awful trends. If not, it would have to continue.
@Jodi … Good for you! But watch your 6 …
“Stop reducing my personhood to a racial category.”
This will never happen because, by definition, the Critical Race Theory these Marxists are operating under specifically values the racial category over the personhood, of which it is contemptuous.
Meet Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw. She is a full-time professor at the UCLA School of Law and Columbia Law School. She is lauded by academia. Here is Prof. Crenshaw’s view of the law: “The statement ‘I am Black’ is much more powerful than the statement ‘I am a person who happens to be Black’ because the second PUTS UNIVERSAL HUMANITY BEFORE THE IDENTITY'” (emp. added).
This is the elite of our culture.
You can never understand the funhouse-mirror sophistry of CRT, where words NEVER mean the common usage, if you don’t understand the genesis of it, going back to Marx, The Frankfurt School, post-modernism, and intersectionality. James Lindsay has a brillant lecture where he surveys this whole intellectual abomination. Must listen is you want to fight these cultural Vandals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jLNgLABuTw&t=2301s