College Student Seeking Non-White Roommate Wanted a ‘Safe Space’
“In order for me to be racist I would need to have some network or system of power.”
We recently reported that some students at Pitzer College placed an ad for a roommate which specifically requested a person of color. The story set off a firestorm in academia and media as some people wondered if this qualified as racism.
Two of the students involved have commented on the story. One claims it’s impossible for him to be racist and the other says she just wanted to create a safe space.
From AOL News:
Students seeking non-white roommate spark nationwide debate
For some college kids, trying to land the perfect roomie can be a complete fail. That’s why two students at Pitzer College in California decided to recruit a fourth roommate using Facebook. But, after listing “POC Only” as one of the requirements social media critics gave them a lesson on discrimination.
In case you didn’t know, “POC” stands for Person Of Color.
“I do not hate white people. Um, that’s not what I screamed in that post,” Kare Urena explained.
Since all the seeking roommates are minorities, several students said the ad was a prime example of racism.
“Racist and racism is built on prejudice and power,” added Isaac Tucker- Rasbury. “In order for me to be racist I would need to have some network or system of power working in line with whatever my goals may be.”
When school officials got word of the controversial post they claimed it was “inconsistent with the mission and values of Pitzer College.”
“What I screamed in that post was I am eagerly desperate to create a safe space on this campus in order for me to return and be successful here,” Urena said.
Try to imagine what would happen if white college students said they wanted a white roommate so they could create a safe space. I can guarantee you, the media would not be framing the story as something which sparked a national debate.
The double standard inherent in this situation is obvious to anyone with common sense. Officials at Pitzer College, who have said that this doesn’t comport with the school’s values, are actually struggling with how to handle the situation.
FOX News reports:
Pitzer College Leaders Can’t Agree If It’s OK for Students to Advertise for Non-White Roommates
So is it OK for college students to take out ads seeking non-white roommates for their off-campus house?
Well, at Pitzer College in California, it depends which senior administrator you ask.
Students at Claremont Colleges (of which Pitzer is one) advertised an opening in their off-campus home on Facebook that listed “POC” (or “person of color”) as one of the requirements to apply. The students are also resident advisors at the school. Although other students immediately pointed out that the policy was discriminatory, the RAs countered that the segregated housing “protected” students of color and created a “safe space” for members of their community.
One student of color defended the policy to Claremont’s student newspaper, saying that it meant she “didn’t have to tiptoe around fragile white feelings in a space where we just want to relax and be comfortable.”
It should come as a surprise to no one that progressive concepts like “safe spaces” provide an ability to cloak discrimination. What we’re seeing unfold on college campuses in real time is a struggle for power, not empowerment.
Featured image is a screen cap.
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Comments
More students whose only path to a “bright future” leads either to activism or the academe. Who wants to hire someone who will sue the pants off their employer for a massively growing number of SJW grievances?
And their words sound like, “gibbldy gobbledy goo goo.” They almost make no rational sense.
Somebody, please, give her a dictionary and teach her how to use it.
If she has the power to discriminate, then she has the power to be a racist.
Denying someone the opportunity sure sounds like power to me.
Now, if she’d just said something like “the First Amendment guarantees freedom of assembly, which means I can associate with whomever I like” I’d have more sympathy. But that means white people have rights, too.
Dang it, there you go AGAIN acting like The Constitution actually means what it says.
Didn’t you get the memo? FORWARD!!!!! (to Socialism).
“In order for me to be racist I would need to have some network or system of power working in line with whatever my goals may be.”
And that is exactly what you have. Like, maybe, the entire systems of governments (fedov; states), bending over backwards with this huge, out-of-reason apparatus known as Affirmative Action and all its helpers. In colleges there are tons and tons of these “diversity offices and officers;” the media; all manner of left wing writers; and on and on.
So don’t tell us that you don’t have huge networks and systems of power working in line with any POC.
When you look at the rate of B on W violent crime vs W on B violent crime, as well as the antics of the BLM terrorists, there’s your “network or system of power.”
Something tells me that if a white student had advertised for a non-black roommate, Kare Urena would be leading the protest to get them expelled.
If this is a big deal, then I suggest Legal Insurrection do a piece on Trump’s discrimination after he took over management of his father’s buildings. His renting policies were tested and the tests proved that he steered POC to a couple of rundown buildings. After he was forced into a Consent Decree, he violated it repeatedly. Are any of the people who are the subject of this article running for president?
You don’t think that discriminating against someone on the basis of their skin color is a big deal, ORDA? And what does Trump have to do with it? Am I required to condemn his sins in order to condemn the students’? I do condemn them, but what makes you the keeper of ordinal condemnation? Must I always condemn a white murder before I condemn a black murderer, because I am white? Murder is wrong regardless of skin color. Racism is wrong regardless of skin color. Don’t be a jerk.
What does it have to do with Trump? This article proves that there is actual hypocrisy in the world.
But if you are really upset about discrimination and you are not a hypocrite, then reread the comment. It is self-explanatory.
i reread your comments: i see tortured English, unsupported claims, and garden variety moonbat logic.
did i miss anything?
A long time ago
I don’t think anyone here is “upset at discrimination”. The point of this article is to expose the true face of “anti-racist” activism.
Speaking at least for myself I have no objection at all to the ad itself; it makes perfect sense for people to want to live with similar and compatible people, with whom they can relax, and who will understand them. But that is equally valid for people who don’t want a white room mate and for those who do. What I object to is the absolute certainty that both the students who posted it and the university would be throwing fits of howling madness if some white students had posted an identical ad asking for a white roommate. That is the insanity being pointed out here.
You’re asking a jerk to not be a jerk.
Do not ask a jerk to stop being a jerk.
You’re asking him (or should I say zem) to stop being.
Oh!
Wait.
What a great idea!
What on earth has Trump got to do with this? Why do you mention him? You’ve been here long enough to know that this is not Trumpkin territory, so what point do you imagine you’re making?
I thought “roomates by race” was ruled wrong after the Craigslist “White room mates only please” kerfluffle”
Or are we saying, still, that only whites are able to hate due skin tone?
B/c it very much seems that the opposite is the reality.
Race-baiters want freebies and have no clue what real racism is.
No black American has been exposed to raw racism since the ’60’s.
Racist she is. A violator of Federal Law she is as well.
Violator of federal law? How so? Since when do housing discrimination laws apply to roommate situations? So long as she’s not selling or renting, she can discriminate all she likes.
Room mates are required to pay their share of rent and utilities.
Interesting idea, but not sure it survives summary judgment.
See Fair Housing Council v. Roommate.com:
https://casetext.com/case/fair-hous-council-of-san-fernando-valley-v-roommatecom-llc
“Website’s use of discriminatory preferences as to sex, sexual orientation, and familial status to facilitate roommate selection did not violate the Fair Housing Act or the California Fair Employment and Housing Act; to avoid serious constitutional questions, it was necessary to interpret the statutes as not applying to the sharing of living units.”
Sure smells like racism to me.
“Safe space” and “systems of power” are justifications for racism. They’re also tacit admissions that those making the justifications are, in fact, racists.
Now they may not consider that a problem. For things like race-based Affirmative Action to make any sense, even in theory, it is necessary to postulate two kinds of racism; bad racism (whatever type you don’t like), and good racism (which you can use to oppose bad racism). This distinction is vital; it’s the only way to pretend that a blatantly racist program like AA isn’t as fundamentally evil as the policies of the Klan.
So, analogies to a similar case—say, white people who may want to make their entire towns into “safe spaces” by excluding some people (i.e., bad racism as defined above—has no relevance to some student’s good racism.
Of course it’s a grotesque social dead end; by similar reasoning, any outrageous behavior can be justified. The only effective way for Pitzer to handle it is to slap it down, and slap it down hard. Which, I predict, the administration won’t do.
In this case, I thought this line— I am eagerly desperate to create a safe space on this campus—particularly revealing. Somebody realizes they shouldn’t be there on academic grounds, and is simply not competitive with the other students. Hence the desperate need for a safe space. Pitzer is about a third “persons of color”, some of whom will be qualified to be there, but quite a few will not. And those who realize that are in quite a bind. I can see why a safe space might seem attractive.
Democrats’ [class] diversity schemes have successfully exploited intrinsic bias in order to normalize/promote class prejudice.
“Racist and racism is built on prejudice and power”
Putting aside the poor grammar, this is an example of Liberals not understanding basic English. Racism is an attitude or belief. It requires only a mind. Not even a good one.
Racial Oppression requires power and is completely irrelevant to this case. It is also notable that the power to decide who you have as a roommate apparently doesn’t qualify as power to this ignoramus, who has a fine future as a racist demagogue to look forward to.
Racist.
Lock her up by her nose ring.
A serious mental condition:
Extreme snowflake!
I support her discrimination. No white person should have to put up with her nastiness, and should avoid her, and those like her, and should avoid her whenever possible.
The KKK was created for “self-preservation”. The clansmen wanted safe spaces as well…
This is not the racial healing I was promised…
“Racist and racism is built on prejudice and power. In order for me to be racist I would need to have some network or system of power working in line with whatever my goals may be.”
In other words, “Heads I win, Tails you lose.” That’s a convenient way to avoid dealing with the hate and prejudice in your own heart, Little Ms. Safe Space ~
The quote is from a person named Isaac, a man, I assume.
Yup, forgot to note that – although he is acting like a pantywaist anyhow. Maybe he identifies as a girl, or maybe it’s a she masquerading as a he. Hard to tell these days ~
Ding!
For a self-proclaimed “POC”, she looks really white.
It’s racist, but I do not believe it’s illegal because they;ll be living on premises.
IIRC an owner-occupied rental property all non-discrimination regulations don’t apply (That pesky First amendment “Freedom of association” clause dontchaknow). So you can be sexist, racist, ableist, or whatever so long as you live in what you rent.
Adding to the fact that it’s not University property I don’t what, if anything, the University can do.
I believe you are correct!
https://casetext.com/case/fair-hous-council-of-san-fernando-valley-v-roommatecom-llc
Heh. On a blog called Legal Insurrection, I was a bit surprised at how long it took to get to a legal analysis of their actions.
IMO if it’s not racist it still is divisive. These SJWs would be in a major hissy fit if the tables were turned and someone requested only white people as roommates because they just don’t want to deal with all the whining done by the entitlement group.
I think the ad is perfectly fine. What’s wrong is that they refuse to allow other students the same freedom they want for themselves. It should be perfectly acceptable for white students to advertise for a white roommate, or more specifically for a roommate of their own ethnic background, whatever it is, someone with whom they share cultural cues and preferences.
I agree. Most people choose whom they live with based at least in part on race and ethnicity. They’re just usually not as up front and confrontational about it.
You know his/her degree will not be in science, math, engineering, or business. Perhaps he/she will be an honor graduate in (fill in the blank) Studies. And then blame racism for his/her failure to get a $100,000 / year job as a new hire “working” 25 hours per week. Oh, I forgot about a job in the Hillary administration.
These SJW types remind me of the idiot kid that thinks he is stronger than the equipment he is obviously not ready to learn how to operate. I dislike generation snowflake thoroughly!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajNdLT4exps
“Racist and racism is built on prejudice and power,” added Isaac Tucker- Rasbury. “In order for me to be racist I would need to have some network or system of power working in line with whatever my goals may be.”
That definition is wrong, but even Applying that definition to the students who placed the ad. The goal is to find a roomate, and the students select who that roomate will be. It is fair to say that the students have 100% of the power in fulfilling the goal of selecting a roomate. If they choose to limit the selection based on skin color then they have built a system based on both prejudice and power.
This is one of the MOST insightful things written since October 2008.
On a related note:
People of reason (i.e. Conservatives and the “silent majority”) ceded the war to control the language ages ago. The word “racism” was re-defined LONG ago….and most people who have been in school over the last few decades have learned this “progressive” re-definition – Webster’s dictionary definition and reason be d@mned.
Indeed. The new, approved definition of racism is “Disagreeing with a Democrat.”
Yes, indeed.
To add…
If the KKK had a better publicists and had named themselves something really misleading like “White Lives Matter” it would be far more difficult to criticize them. Because, after all, it’s hard to argue that white lives don’t matter, because all lives matter. The BLM terrorists had better publicists, hence their name, though they are just as racist as the KKK. The BLM name is simply a way to hide behind a facade. It cloaks their blatant racism to some extent.
The federal regulation of housing ads isn’t directly relevant here, since it doesn’t apply to roommate ads, but the regulations that apply to advertising housing for sale or rent are insane. For instance did you know that it’s illegal to advertise an apartment as within easy walking distance of synagogues? That’s clearly designed to attract Jewish buyers or tenants, so it’s not allowed. I don’t know whether they allow one to advertise a kosher kitchen, or room for a sukkah.
David Bernstein wrote a book about it; everyone should read it.