Another Look at Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility

First, some statistics:

White Fragility became a New York Times bestseller for more than a year. In September 2019, Slate noted that "White Fragility has yet to leave the New York Times bestseller list since its debut in June 2018, making it the fastest-selling book in the history of Beacon Press." In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, it reached no. 1 on the New York Times list. The July 26, 2020 edition of the list marked the book's 97th week in the Paperback Nonfiction category, where it was ranked number 1.
Now, some facts about Robin DiAngelo, carefully and accurately reported by The Woke Temple:

Here is DiAngelo's thought process, in all of its glory:

That so many American news media outlets, universities and HR Departments could embrace this divisive, poisonous, pathological, infantile, baseless nonsense for the past couple of years should send a chill through every one of us. How is it possible that so many people supported her patently racist ideas and her repeated infantilization of blacks? The fact that this utter crap was ubiquitously touted by American elites at the same time that they refused to honor Martin Luther King's brilliant time-tested idea to judge people only by their content of character demoralizes me.

It's difficult to determine how to de-program the thousands of people who run our sense-making institutions who continue to tout this garbage.

Continue ReadingAnother Look at Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility

The Importance of Free Inquiry at the Academy

Heterodox Academy has released this 3-minute video arguing for something that 20 years ago would have puzzled most people.

This video advocates for

  • Free Inquiry at the Academy
  • Encouraging the Life of the Mind, and
  •  The Use of Evidence when taking positions, rather than relying on mere feelings.

But this is 2021, and we are, in many places, continuing our descent into a new Dark Ages where an increasingly acceptable way to win an argument is to silence one's opponents, using economic threats and brute force if necessary, even at the Academy.

I fully support the following ideas of Heterodox Academy:

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I fully support the above ideas in my role as a law professor and in my personal life. As an attorney affiliated with Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), I am willing to push back against persons and organizations violating these principles where they involve violations of civil rights, including violations of the First Amendment.

In fact, FIRE has now established a Faculty Legal Defense Fund to protect the speech of faculty members.  Here is how it works:

Public college and university faculty who face a threat of sanction by their institution or have been punished for expressive activity—whether it’s instruction, scholarship, or speaking on issues of public concern—can submit matters for FLDF consideration. They can do so through FLDF’s dedicated 24-hour Hotline at 254-500-FLDF (3533), or submit a case online. Our staff quickly review the matter and, if it falls within FLDF’s mandate, connect the faculty member with one of the experienced nearby lawyers in the FLDF network for assistance.

Continue ReadingThe Importance of Free Inquiry at the Academy

Daily Aphorism #2: The World is Your Playroom.

[This is a continuing series of 100 Daily Aphorisms that I started writing on August 21, 2021].

There really are two kinds of people! One kind wrings their hands and frets about everything that might not be perfectly safe and happy, peering out at the threatening world through their blinds. The other kind sees the world as a big playroom, filled with opportunities to have adventures. For this second type of person, there are two kinds of adventures: either you try something and it is exciting/fun/inspiring or you try something and you fail, which is a learning experience, a foundation for future happy adventures.

What is the world for you, an ominous place or a cheerful playroom?

We are all looking at the same physical world, but we are seeing that world through two different lenses. To explore the world in a joyful way, it will takes a lot of work. It will take a lot of Vitamin Y, uttering “Yes” to get started. It will take grit, the willingness to get back up if knocked down. You’ll also need to understand antifragility: you will thrive in a world because it is filled with stressors, shocks, volatility, noise, mistakes, faults, attacks, or failures. Do you understand Nietzsche’s point that what doesn’t destroy you often makes you stronger?

If you are afraid to go out into the world as a joyful adventurer, my prescription for you is to go look in the mirror, think about your limited hours on the planet, and ask yourself how they will write your epitaph. Imagine that it reads: “Here lies _____ ______ , who was afraid to leave the house.” That epitaph should scare you far more than the world.

Continue ReadingDaily Aphorism #2: The World is Your Playroom.

Teachers Suing Woke Springfield Missouri Public School District

I keep hearing people claim that people like me are trying to prevent schools from "teaching history." Take a look at this federal complaint and the documents leaked to Christopher Rufo. Then ask whether these claimants are trying to prevent the schools from "teaching history"

Continue ReadingTeachers Suing Woke Springfield Missouri Public School District