Princeton University is under fire for teaching students that black men and women are disabled because of systemic racism. Here’s the whole story.
Black People Should Be Considered “Disabled” Due To Systemic Racism
The name of the course taught is “The Healing Humanities: Decolonizing Trauma Studies from the Global South,” and the curriculum teaches students that black people should be considered “disabled” due to systemic racism in America.
Systemic racism refers to the systems in society that create racial inequality for people of color.
The course’s description says that systemic racism in America is why black people should be considered oppressed and “disabled.”
The description also refers to “intersectionality,” saying “individuals can be oppressed by numerous groups simultaneously.” Intersectionality acknowledges that people have their own personal and unique experiences regarding discrimination and oppression.
Black People Can Be Looked At as “Disabled” Without Physical Impairments
The course teaches from Jasbir Paur’s book, The Right to Maim: Debility, Capacity, Disability. Paur’s book argues that black people can be looked at as “disabled” without physical impairments.
In Paur’s book, the class talks about the structures in society that prevent black people from reaching their full potential, thus causing them to be handicapped or disabled in life.
The course at Princeton University aims to “decolonize” students’ thinking by focusing on critical race theory concepts.
The course description highlights how different forms of oppression, including racism, homophobia, ableism, and capitalism, can be connected. The description also emphasizes that the class “contributes to a broader effort within the humanities to shed light on trauma and healing” from different points of view.
“The Israeli Military Attempts To Hurt Palestinians for Profit”
The focus on “disabled” black people isn’t the only reason the class at Princeton is under fire. The course curriculum also includes ideas alleging “the Israeli military attempts to hurt Palestinians for profit.”
The course teaches that the Israeli army deliberately maims Palestinians for profit. This has Jewish officials outraged.
The president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, said, “Princeton University is not only sanctioning hate speech, but establishing fertile ground for a new generation of antisemitic thought leaders.”
Critics called for the professor teaching this course, Satyel Larson, to be fired. They also say the students attending the Ivy League school deserve an apology.
Classifying All People of Color as “Disabled” Is a Racist Statement
People are outraged because they say Larson teaches that black people don’t have the power or the resources they need to fulfill their potential, making them disabled and handicapped.
Several Twitter users commented on the story, calling the course’s premise racist. They say that to classify all people of color as “disabled” is a racist statement.
Kirk Comeaux said he lives in an affluent neighborhood with “black neighbors all around” him. He said they are “extremely successful and great neighbors.” Comeaux can’t believe the “disgusting” way this course portrays black Americans.
“Teaching Students How To Be Racist”
Another Twitter user, Devon, didn’t see any problem with the new class at Princeton and thought it sounded “like a good class.” He said, “The idea of institutional racism equaling a handicap is interesting” and that the school was “designed to get kids to look and think outside the box.”
A black man on Twitter, Herman Davis commented, “Yeah, us black folks ain’t asking for that. Idk where they got that from.” Davis seemed appalled by the new course offered to students.
Critics say that Princeton is “Teaching students how to be racist.” Princeton had no comment about this class.
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The post Princeton’s Disturbing Course Claims Black Individuals Are ‘Disabled’ Due to Systemic Racism first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / EQRoy. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Black Enterprise