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Starting in the spring, Florida Gulf Coast University will begin offering a course with a controversial name, “White Racism”
Dr. Ted Thornhill, the teacher of the planned class, says that White Racism “will interrogate the concept of race; examine the racist ideologies, laws, policies, and practices that have operated for hundreds of years to maintain white racial domination over those racialized as non-white.”
Furthermore, Dr. Thornhill indicated that participating students will also have the opportunity “to discuss ways to challenge white racism and white supremacy toward promoting an anti-racist society where whiteness is not tied to greater life chances.”
“Much evidence, both historical and sociological, shows the U.S. has been and remains a white supremacist society,’ Thornhill said in a statement regarding the course. That is, a racially stratified society where whiteness is more highly valued and therefore associated with greater life chances. ‘My White Racism course is not anti-white; it is anti-white racism. Clearly, not all white people are racists; some are even anti-racist,” Thornhill said.
The course title has expectedly raised some concern, however, the school says the objective is timely given the recent rise in white supremacy and racism in areas across the United States.
The official course description, via FGCU:
“In this course, we will interrogate the concept of race; examine the racist ideologies, laws, policies, and practices that have operated for hundreds of years to maintain white racial domination over those racialized as non-white; and discuss ways to challenge and disrupt white racism and dethrone white supremacy in the service of engendering an anti-racist society where whiteness is not tied to greater life chances.”
According to the FGCU class search, the White Racism will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 AM and 10:15 AM. Enrollment for the course has been closed.
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