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Student Activists at Swarthmore Issue List of Demands Over Alleged ‘Anti-Blackness’

Student Activists at Swarthmore Issue List of Demands Over Alleged ‘Anti-Blackness’

“[S]tudents are protesting Swarthmore’s historical lack of concrete action concerning institutional anti-blackness”

It sounds like these students are accusing Swarthmore College of being a racist institution.

The College Fix reports:

Swarthmore College activists issue demands, strike against ‘institutional anti-blackness’

Student activists at the small, private (and pricey) Swarthmore College last week began a strike from “most college-related activities” until the school officials fully meet their demands (emphasis in the original).

Led by the Black Affinity Coalition and Swarthmore Strike Coalition, The Phoenix reports the strike is dubbed “No Longer Minding the Light,” a play on the institution’s motto (and Quaker saying) “Minding the Light.”

The former gave advanced notice of the strike in a letter to administrators and faculty, noting students involved will “not be attending class, or completing assignments” until all demands are agreed to.

“[S]tudents are protesting Swarthmore’s historical lack of concrete action concerning institutional anti-blackness and the unsustainability of this semester, specifically the unrealistic expectation to continue to operate as if we are not amidst a pandemic and a racial crisis,” the letter reads…

The demands include:

— “[N]o punitive actions and/or repercussions for the students involved, whatsoever. This means no student can get a failing grade this semester or “be hindered from completing their degree plan in any way.”

— “[T]hat Swarthmore fully fund workshops on cultural competency and intersectionality that are mandatory for all first-year and transfer students beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.” Such trainings “should be taught by marginalized people.”

— “[T]hat Swarthmore hold a first-year/transfer orientation solely dedicated to Undocumented/DACA students.” Because “many of the activities and resources discussed” at international orientation “do not address their specific needs.”

— “[A]n audit of the Financial Aid Department by an independent institution to investigate the ways BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, People of Color] are treated in comparison to their white counterparts.”

— “[T]hat Swarthmore faculty across every department incorporate and center the work of Black, Indigenous, Disabled, and Queer writers, scientists, and activists beginning with the 2021-2022 Academic year.”

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Comments

The Friendly Grizzly | November 23, 2020 at 8:53 am

Oh, shut up. Get back to class, or withdraw from the college.

    students involved will “not be attending class, or completing assignments” until all demands are agreed to

    It seems to me there’s a well-established response to this kind of extortion, and it begins with the letter ‘F’.

      The Friendly Grizzly in reply to daniel_ream. | November 23, 2020 at 11:43 am

      All raise glasses of ale to hail the fail!
      Gail will be sent to jail for causing disruptions.
      Others will receive a summons in the mail,
      Because the campus police have them nailed, dead to rights for disruption.
      While too drunk on that ail they may heave in a pail,
      And Dan Quayle will be their lawyer, perhaps.
      Meanwhile, less than cool heads will rail, and complain of the alleged injustices.
      To me, it’s all just stale, these tall tails.
      So, I will get in the car and drive to Vail, for a holiday while
      The Black Affinity Coalition wails.
      I may pick a Yale, and break into Zales…

      /I enjoy being insane.

Sit down, you over-privileged brats.

    The Friendly Grizzly in reply to UJ. | November 23, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    There was a lot less of this nonsense when universites could be selective about admissions. Now, they have to meet quotas to keep the government off their backs, and this is what you get.

    I am willing to bet the price of a good lunch that not one single solitary black student taking a real major is in on any of this. This is assuming Swarthmore offers real majors in the first place.

Some ‘elite’ universities need to fail and close down. They clearly are not producing students that would be valuble additions tothe workforce.t

In the Socialist-Progressive playbook, there is a distinct advantage to allowing a lower-performing student into a classroom of students who want to learn: the lower-performing student is usually highly disruptive, thereby bringing the class down to his (or, if you like, her) level; the teacher then must waste time with the student that has no interest in the subject matter and spends far less time with the directed students.
A win-win for the Socialist-Progressives who wish to disrupt the teaching system and force it into indoctrination classes. It appears I’m the only one paranoid enough to see in this light.

Counter-offer to lazy students: shut up or you’ll be expelled. And you will have to pay the student loans back.