Columbia University has announced that starting in the spring it will designate student and faculty bathrooms as “White” and “Colored.”
Segregation is important for students to have a clear sense of their own cultural identity, the administration did not say.
Things have gotten so insane in Woke America that this could almost be true. It is not true.
But this is: Columbia in April will offer six virtual graduation ceremonies segregated by race, nationality, gender, even income level.
Welcome to the Poison Ivy League, where academics demonstrate why they are a danger to America.
The hypocrisy, sanctimony, division and unAmericanism is so thick it’s hard to know where to begin to slice the pap pie.
I will begin by saying Columbia is not the first university to turn back the clock and engage in separate, but equal, which we have been taught all of our lives is intrinsically wrong, and unequal.
The multi-cultural graduations are actually unicultural. They supposedly “honor” students’ “diversity,” says an announcement on the school’s website.
“These events invite community members to reflect on personal growth and community experiences that have impacted their time as students through to graduation,” says the website, while at the same time announcing the segregated events are open to all students. Huh?
The separate ceremonies are for Black, Latino, Asian, Native American and LGBTQ+ students, plus one for FLI — first generation or low income students. Yes — a new oppressed minority!
Columbia is trying to have it both ways, or six ways, and also will stage the, um, white(?) big graduation that everyone can attend. How many graduation ceremonies do you need? I was happy to get one at my municipal college. (Go Brooklyn!)
The obvious question is this: Why do not Jewish students and Muslim students get separate ceremonies? Anti-Semitism? Islamophobia?
Where is the ceremony for Pacific Islanders? Hutus? Bulgarians? Each has something “special’ about them.
When you start dividing people it’s hard to know where to stop, like eating Lay’s potato chips. “Betcha can’t mollify just one.”
If you are biracial, can you attend two of the segregated ceremonies? If you are biracial and gay and poor, can you go to four? It gets ridiculous, doesn’t it?
The hypocrisy continues, as noted by the Black Enterprise website when it reported on a deadline for nominating students for multi-cultural graduation cords “who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to inclusion, global diversity, social justice, and multiculturalism.”
Get that? The cords for inclusion, diversity and multiculturalism will be awarded at a ceremony that has none of those virtues.
This is not entirely new. Many colleges have received requests from Black students for separate dining facilities, housing, and graduation.
Here’s where I become Dean of one of those schools.
“If you want a graduation ceremony, or dining halls, or housing, restricted to Black students, you should have gone to Howard University, or another Historically Black University or College, but even there you would find white students mixed in.
“The purpose of this university is to educate and broaden you, not to constrict you. The purpose of this university is not to protect you from others who are ‘different,’ but allow you to engage them on safe terrain. That’s why there are no ‘safe spaces’ here, because there are no bomb shelters in the real world to protect you from strange ideas.
“If you choose to eat with others ‘like’ you, that is a free choice for you to make, but I will not designate ‘white’ and ‘Black’ and ‘gay’ and ‘straight’ tables. Nothing could be more harmful. I will not normalize segregation. I will not institutionalize segregation.
“Student housing will be assigned randomly. There will be no ‘white’ dorms and no ‘Black’ dorms.
“There will be only one university graduation ceremony, for all who have earned the right to attend. If any group chooses on their own to sponsor an additional ceremony, they may do that, using campus facilities, at their own expense.”
Maybe even more damaging than the race separation is the twaddle of income stratification.
In an era where social justice warriors are demanding that all housing be multi-income and multi-cultural, for every kind of diversity you can shake your booty at, here we have a university — despite questionable good intentions — celebrating a kind of caste system. Isn’t that the tokenism the Left is supposed to hate?
The national motto is e pluribus unum, which means “out of many, one.”
That motto is aspirational, because we have not always lived up to it, and in some respects we still do not. But it remains the goal.
The goal is not to take the “one” and shred it into many.
Those who separate us are not celebrating us.
They are destroying our national fabric.
They do unimaginable harm, and I wonder why they do it. Is it simple ignorance, or is it hate of our country?
You have to be fucking kidding me! This is waaayyy out of hand. Pardon my French but that’s me, I speak my mind.
Wish I was kidding.
Christ on a crotchrocket! Isn’t this the VERY thing their grand parents fought AGAINST? Equality is the answer, not this.
Now you know why I was moved to write about this.
If only the real deans of these schools had the chutzpah to do what you suggest, things would be different.
Without going into detail I would suggest in the spare time you probably don’t have to go to YouTube and open up the Glenn Lawry and John McWarter podcast as both are Professors one at Brown and the other at Columbia. I signed up for their daily reports and they are covering exactly your excellent portrayal of what is going on in the Ivy League schools today.
Will do, but do you mean John McWhorter at Columbia?
Pretty bad when you misspell a Professor of Linguistics.
HAPPY WEDNESDAY !!!
Stu,
My Jewish pal. ( Can we still be seen together in public? )
I am in agreement with you. Shouldn’t come as a surprise. You did make a small error.
SARCASM:
When you, Dean Bykofsky, said that all graduates will attend ONE ceremony given by the school, you then added that all groups of whatevers could have additional ceremonies, at their own cost. Well sir, that would place indigents in a bad light. If they don’t have any money, they can’t send out invitations, rent halls, buy food, etc. Shameful on your part and your college. You should make an exception for just this one group. I don’t think there will be any disagreement from anyone.
Now, a silly question. Does any paying parent question or challenge these inferior deans and their roll playing professors ?
Tony
Do you think there are many indigents in Columbia, or my university? No, no, my friend, and you remain my friend even though you can try the patience of a saint. 😃
Philadelphia, PA
Dear Stu,
Yes, “Out of many, one” is an American national motto. But we never wanted to be completely “one,” and that means that “E pluribus unum,” is a continuing goal and process. If we ever completely unified, how could we keep the same motto? Recall that the constitution forbids abolishing the states. That implies that we want to be unified in some ways, but not in all. Again, freedom of religious practice is guaranteed in the 1st amendment, as is the prohibition of religious establishment. We officially don’t want to have one religion for all.
The problem is that many are making political hay with “multiculturalism” and identity politics. Given American history, this amounts of backsliding. Its a threat to the ideal of “unity where we really need it, and as we go.” Part of the perception (accurate or not) is that after the Cold War, we don’t need quite so much unity?
Let me remind you though, that “Disruption is opportunity” is the slogan of a very large and powerful American company –selling information on and to business. There you have the clear thesis that the way to get ahead is to disrupt things as they are.
Those more aware of the course of American history and its relation to American ideals are naturally quite scandalized.
H.G. Callaway
When are normal rational people going to wake up and do something about this?
Most people bitch and laugh but the wokes always get their way.This has to stop but I fear it is already too late.They are totally destroying the education systems.
“One” people does not mean one mindset, one religion, one state, or one color.
The people are “one,” yet varied. Salad might be a better metaphor than the old melting pot — septayae and yet part of one whole.
Philadelphia, PA
Dear Stu,
Factually, we have a lot of the old “melting-pot,” and there are people who do not know much about their own origin or background and could care less. They think of themselves as simply “American.” Nothing wrong with that. Factually, we also have a lot of the “mixed salad,” which involves mixing, one-on-one or in integrated neighborhoods and towns of people who maintain some sense of their own difference or distinctness. Then again, we have the dedicated multiculturalists and advocates of “identity politics” –on the march!
The political question is where to place the policy premiums? Obviously, if policy benefits difference for its own sake, and clever disruption of the social, political and economic order, then you will get a lot of “difference and disruption.” In a way, the left is only imitating “successful” business models.
Consider the proverb, “New brooms sweep clean.” A new boss comes in, and cunningly changes all the settled procedures –thus disempowering everyone who has used them. That is very different than changing what needs to be changed and leaving everything else as it was. It’s “power politics” of the boardroom. To that extent, as Wm James put it, America governs itself by the rules of “that bitch-goddess, success.”
Another proverb: “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”
H.G. Callaway
Thank You for telling it like it should be told!
Any parent who sends his kid to one of these indoctrination centers should be arrested for child abuse.
🙂
Columbia University? Are you sure this isn’t GWU, George Wallace University?
Philadelphia, PA
Dear Acton,
However “segregationist,” the crucial difference is that Columbia appears to have switched sides in the old politics of the racial divide –the politics coming up to us from the South thanks to the Clintons from Arkansas.
Notice in this connection the economic rise of the “Sun belt” in contrast to the decline of the “Rust belt.” Who pays the piper gets to call the tune?
H.G. Callaway
Stu–
Please keep on top of this topic. Whenever I hear the words “diversity’, “inclusion”, “equity”, “social justice”, etc. I know that what follows is going to tick me off. Let’s face it, and I say this all the time to my adult children, EVERYBODY has a story. At some point in life you’re going to experience something that seems unfair. Perhaps where you started out from. Perhaps not having the $$ to attend the school of your choice. Getting passed over for something you’re easily the most qualified. Getting a sickness or suffering an accident that disables you in some way. EVERYBODY has a story that they can tell. But……not everybody wallows in a life of self-pity. Some of the most inspirational life stories arise out of challenges.
I live in Lancaster County now, and because February was Black History month, the local NBC affiliate highlighted a black person each night. By the fourth night I was disgusted. Instead of highlighting a local person who managed to “make it” the stories all dwelled on someone who didn’t. Night after night I watched someone talk about how they had been mistreated and held back from achieving their “rightful dream.
Not one story about Ben Carson. Not surprised are you?
I will write about “woke” cultural from time to time.
Stu, your column is misleading. I am as shocked and disgusted as most with this type of thing, however looked into it further.
According to USA Today, these “segregated” graduation ceremonies are IN ADDITION to, not IN PLACE OF the regular ceremonies. “A university spokesperson told USA TODAY these events are in addition to the university-wide commencement ceremony and are open to any student who wants to participate. In many cases, the voluntary multicultural ceremonies initially were created by alumni and students. “…….
and from NEWSWEEK….”While there are additional ceremonies taking place for Columbia students, these aren’t compulsory and are not taking place at same time or instead of the main ceremony attended by all graduates.
The additional events are also mostly created by alumni and students, rather than the university.”
The school said they are not an example of “segregation,” as suggested by conservative figures.”
Before criticizing me for misleading, be certain of the facts. I wrote these dopey ceremonies were IN ADDITION TO the regular.
Here is the quote: “ Columbia is trying to have it both ways, or six ways, and also will stage the, um, white(?) big graduation that everyone can attend.”
I accept your apology.
Apologize for what? The column is misleading. The sentence you are using to defend does not clearly state that the University itself is NOT holding these segregated graduations, is merely allowing them to happen at a different time than the traditional graduation. ANY reasonable person reading your column would have made the same assumption that I did.
Unbelievable. It is there in black and white. You seem to be the ONLY person who drew your erroneous conclusion.
Agreed.
One more thing. I provided a link to Columbia’s website so that
ANYONE could read it for themselves. So stick “misleading” where the sun don’t shine.
Clear as day, Stu.
Poor Naomi. The truth gets in the way of her convictions.
HAPPY THURSDAY !!!
Bill,
I hear you loud and clear. I am sure that most people out here west of Philly know very little or next to nothing about the local history. I don’t doubt that most people think that the Germans were here first.
Well boys and girls. Far from true. When Billy Penn and friends were piecing off their new found property, courtesy of King George, Billy sold off lands to his Quaker friends. Fast forward a bit. Civil War. Quakers being people that loved God and looked people founded the Underground Railroad. Chester and Lancaster counties are rich in Civil War history and the underground railroad played a big part in this area, as well as Montgomery County.
Tony
Philadelphia, PA
Dear Clarke & readers,
Just a few points of history. Wm. Penn received the grant of Pennsylvania as “proprietor” from King Charles II of England in 1681. (This was well before the Georges I., II., and III., of the Hanoverian dynasty.) The first settlers Penn sent over where predominantly English and Welsh Quakers. However, Penn also sent his agents to Germany to recruit German non-conformist pacifists –these were generally German protestants who had refused to take sides in the great religious wars –the 30 years war –which had decimated the country. They were the people on the continent who most resembled his own Quakers. The first Germans to arrive founded Germantown and the Germantown Friends meeting, and as I understand, though the family names of the founders have died away, descendants of the founders of Germantown still attend the meeting. If you examine the family names on the Civil War monument at the old Center of Germantown, you will find that about half those who served in the Civil war from Germantown had German family names. Later, they all seemed to move west –often into western Montgomery county and beyond –where you will find many German place names.
Also worth noting is that the German denominations which came to Pennsylvania, early on, left the old country almost to a man and ceased to exist on the continent. That was partly because after the 30 years war, the prince of each of the little German states could decide the established religion of his state, and –surprise –none opted for a pacifist religion. In consequence the pacifist denomination had no “homeland” on the continent.
When President Washington marched across the state with Alexander Hamilton and the federalized militias of several states to put down the “Whiskey Rebellion” in Western PA (1794), Governor Mifflin came along and gave a speech in many of the small towns where the troops marched through–to explain what was going on. However, there is room to doubt that many understood the Governor, since so many of the people in the small towns east of the mountains spoke only German.
True, many Quakers engaged in the “underground railroad;” and earlier on, Pennsylvania past its gradual abolition of slavery –meaning that thereafter no one was born into slavery–during the Revolutionary war.
President Eisenhower was descendent from Pennsylvania German settlers who later went west to Kansas. But when the President retired, he decided to return to live in Gettysburg in PA. “Eisenhower” is an old German name meaning blacksmith–one who pounds iron (Eisen).
There is an irony that the man in charge of defeating the Nazis in Europe was an American of German descent –and a “pounder of iron.”
By the way, no “multicultural” or ethnic advocacy here. Just a bit of history. I am neither German in background, a Quaker or a pacifist–just a Philadelphian. I’m a critic of “multiculturalism” and “identity politics.”
But it is perhaps worth recalling, in connection with Stu’s theme, that there is much evidence of an older form of “segregation,” dating from colonial times, in the names of local towns and Philadelphia neighborhoods. This is even more pronounced in Canada, “Quebec,” “Ontario,” Nova Scotia,” “New Brunswick,” –longer under British control. In the U.S., this is much blurred, because Americans move around more and don’t like to be told where to live. But there is a “multicultural” character to the U.K. itself –four, ethnically defined sub-polities: England, Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland. They tended to export similar patterns in the British Empire of old.
H.G. Callaway
Fascinating.
sure is fascinating………. He didn’t spell my name corectly. Sometimes I get your name mispelled. All that history. Except of course for jolly old England. They probably have more Indians in England than there are in India. ( just kidding about the numbers ) And I did get my kings mixed up. You know ! All that pressure from our new American royalty.
Philadelphia, PA
Dear Clark,
Please forgive the misspelling above.
By the way, the single largest group of foreign born people in Pennsylvania at present come from India. Since so many immigrants are sponsored by employers, one may wonder if there may be some background British affiliation of corporate sponsors?
H.G. Callaway
I did not know that, but in Philadelphia, it is Mexico by a mile.
HAPPY SATURDAY !!!
As we greet spring today, more facts from Stu and his readers. All true by the way. Not to be confused with the ( HA !! ) political truth.
My second wife, as I have mentioned, was employed at a center city law firm. The first, were she obtained her law credentials was international and a big player. They built Logan One ! My wife would not work in the immigration division, because of the law manipulation that went on.
I don’t know all of the facts now. I’m not interested enough to delve. For years, people would work their way across Europe and eventually become British subjects. They would then move to Canada, and work their way into the U.S.. The other way, obviously, as Callaway suggests, is to come here on a work visa. Whatever they are called these days, you’re here for 6 months. This is why all of the shops that are owned by Indians only hire Indians. Theoretically, these workers are paid minimum wage and taxes are withheld from their pay. I say “theoretically” because if the feds don’t verify, then it is what it is.
The other “quasi” sore spot would be the summer employment at the shore. Because our American youth don’t want to work, Somehow European young come here and work mostly at the shore, but also in the towns in south Jersey. I’m not faulting the foreigners. They get a great gig and money to boot ! Some that I knew, worked their summer college vacations. All expenses were paid for by the employer. Whatever the bottom line was for pay was a heck of a lot more than what they would make in Sweden, etc. plus the fun and experience.
“The times, they are a chang…ing”, somebody wrote. When we were young, we worked as a pump jockey or sliced cold cuts, or did what ever we could to make a buck – ’cause you weren’t getting it from your parents ! My boys worked on farms in the summer. Then they graduated to bigger and better when something became available. My princess couldn’t find steady summer work why down in the “pinelands”. She would “animal sit when the opportunity arose. Down there, that also included farm animals. She enjoyed the animals and the money . Other than that. Most people didn’t want their children working summer jobs. It was too “demeaning” ! Go figure !
Tony
Joe Biden knew about the Indian immigrants in 2006 when he blurted out, “In Delaware, the largest growth of population is Indian Americans, moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.”
That’s our President😀