The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff, Wire Reports
Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 03:54 PM
Ohio State Workshop: Only White People Can Be Racist And Impossible To Be A Victim
If your skin color is white, only you can be a racist, and it’s impossible for you to be a victim.
That’s the message reportedly coming out of a workshop held at Ohio State University Tuesday aimed to teach white students about their "privilege" and how not to act racist.
"Whiteness grants you power and access to things," one student said during the workshop, according to an attendee who is a reporter for The College Fix. “As a white woman, I can walk into any space and know that my white privilege will grant me power and access to things that someone else is not going to experience.”
The session, titled "Interrupting Racism: Tips & Tools for White People,” was part of the university’s ongoing “Ally Week of Action," a series of events hosted by its multicultural center.
About 20 students attended the workshop. During the event, an African-American student asked Angie Wellman, associate director in the Student Life Multicultural Center -- who led the event – if white people are the only racists.
The session, titled "Interrupting Racism: Tips & Tools for White People,” was part of the university’s ongoing “Ally Week of Action."
Yes, she replied, according to The College Fix. The news website also said Wellman claimed that every race that is not white lacks the power aspect, which is why white people can’t be victims of racism.
Benjamin Johnson, Director of Media and Public Relations for the university, confirmed to Fox News that the workshop was held Tuesday, and sent an event link, which describes the event as a workshop "that will strive to increase self-awareness, explore beliefs about race, and examine racism." It further added that "all are welcome, though content will focus on skill building amongst white identified people."
"It is not the position of The Ohio State University that only white people can be racist. Nor is it the position of the university that white people cannot be victims of racism," Chris Davey, Assistant Vice President of Media and Public Relations, told Fox News in a separate statement.
A worksheet given out to attendees also listed 26 examples of “white privilege,” such as seeing people of their race widely represented in media and television.
Students are also being encouraged to stop by the university’s multicultural center this week to sign a Week of Action Pledge and post a statement to social media to demonstrate #BuckeyeValues.
Pledges so far include to “always stand up for the oppressed and use my privilege to make change” and “to shut up and listen when people of color tell me how my actions affect them,” The College Fix reported.
Fox News' Nicole Darrah contributed to this report.
