Failed budgets still include learning 'white privilege'

Paul Kivel

Several school districts in Minnesota are being criticized for sending teachers – in the midst of budget shortfalls that have prompted the layoffs of some educators – to a Minneapolis conference that is giving them instruction in "white privilege" and how it should be defeated.

The 12th annual "White Privilege Conference" is being held through the end of this week at the Sheraton Bloomington in Minneapolis, Minn.

An organization called the Minnesota Justice Collaborative is acting as host and partner sponsors include Hamline University, Augsburg College, Gustavus Adolphus, The Denver Foundation, University of St. Thomas, the National Center for Race Amity and others.

Its website explains that its premise is that the U.S. was started by white people, for white people – and it examines "concepts of privilege and oppression and offers solutions and team building strategies to work toward a more equitable world."

In an article in the organization's inaugural journal edition, Paul Kivel, a "violence prevention educator" and co-founder of the Oakland Men's Project, defined some of the specifics he felt were included in the issue.

"I think that it is safe to say that all white people benefit some from racism, all men benefit some from sexism, but only those at the top pof the pyramid truly gain from this system and enjoy privileges that most of us can only imagine," he wrote.

He said that, "Christianity has also played a key role in developing and justifying systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, colonialism and genocide. … Racism also had its beginning in Christianity as the distinction between Christians and non-Christians took on a biological difference during the Inquisitions, when it was decided that Jews and Muslims who converted were false converts because they did not have clean blood… This was the beginning of modern or biological racism."

It was all too much for commentary contributor Katherine Kersten in the Star Tribune newspaper.

She noted the conference website warned, "There's always the possibility that the 'haters' …. Will descend in mass and try to disrupt peaceful discussions about the advantages of being white in America and the oppression that has led to."

"Not a chance," said Kersten. "We're laughing too hard."

It was Kersten who pointed how that Lakeville, Minn., schools sent a delegation to the events, paying $160 per person, plus $125 a day for substitutes. That came even as the school board was announcing $7 million in budget cuts with 94 teachers losing their jobs.

"There was wailing and gnashing of teeth, but the board set its jaw: There's not a dime for anything extra," Kersten wrote. "Unless you've got an ax to grind with white folks. Then the money spigots open."

Columnist Warner Todd Huston took a decidedly critical tone over the events.

"Alright you evil, rotten, racist, white oppressors, it's time once again for the 'White Privilege Conference,' this year to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota… Come on out you white teachers so we can get your rotten minds right about how racist you are and so that you can go back to your students and let them know how racist they are," he wrote.

He described the "problem" as multiculturalism.

"We are all the same, you see, Indians, Hispanics, Blacks, all at harmony and all equal … well, unless you are a whitey, of course. If you are a whitey, well you have some splanin' to do! … It's about time you admitted your malevolence, dang it!"

The "cure" offered by the conference is "a weekend of indoctrination on white's crimes all for the ultimate education of our children back home in our schools. You see, the kids are all right … as long as they ain't white," he wrote.

Kivel's writings explained how he lookd to Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba and southern Indian for "inspiration."

The Minnesota Council of Conservative Citizens promised a protest at the convention.

Conference organizers estimated about 1,500 would participate in its goal of "fostering difficult and critical dialogues around white supremacy, white privilege, diversity, multicultural education and leadership, social & economic justice, and the intersecting systems of privilege and oppression.

This conference has been held at a variety of other locations previously, but Minnesota has established a reputation for controversies like this.

WND previously reported when a lawyer for the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus confirmed to an educational rights organization that a plan described by a critic as teaching America as a "hellhole" hasn't been adopted, and came about because of brainstorming efforts by the education department.

The issue of the program at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities was raised by officials with The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education at the time.

The group questioned President Robert Bruinicks about the legality of the program. The proposal included the suggestion of examinations of teacher candidates on "white privilege" as well as "remedial re-education" for those who hold the "wrong" views.

The FIRE later announced that in response to its pressure on the university, officials there were backing away from their plans "to enforce a political litmus test."

"The plans from its College of Education and Human Development involved redesigning admissions and the curriculum to enforce an ideology centered on a narrow view of 'cultural competence," the FIRE announced.

"Those with the 'wrong' views were to receive remedial re-education, be weeded out, or be denied admission altogether," the group said.

However, a letter to FIRE from General Counsel Mark B. Rotenberg said those plans, while recommendations, were not adopted.

Such demands appeared to be similar to those promoted earlier at the University of Delaware.

As WND reported, the Delaware university's office of residential life was caught requiring students to participate in a program that taught "all whites are racist."

School officials immediately defended the teaching, but in the face of a backlash from alumni and publicity about its work, the school decided to drop the curriculum, although some factions later suggested its revival.

FIRE, which challenged the Delaware plan, later produced a video explaining how the institution of the university pushed for the teachings, was caught and later backed off:

Special offers:

The corrupt state of U.S. colleges exposed

"The Marketing of Evil" by David Kupelian is available now. Get your copy autographed and personalized (at no extra charge) – only from Shop.WND.com!

"Fish out of Water"

Is free speech 'dead on arrival'? How our broken national dialogue has killed truth and punished those who step out of line

"Christianity and the American Commonwealth"