Some may claim it’s cancel culture: A planned lunch at a Minnesota Lutheran college has evidently been called off.
The February 25th shindig was open to everybody — except white people.
From my coverage on the 11th:
Gustavus Adolphus College is hosting a People of Color International Faculty and Staff Appreciation Lunch. …
The lunch is an interesting choice, perhaps particularly during February — otherwise known as Black History Month.
The 28-day observance, of course, is meant to recognize black Americans who’ve managed fantastic feats. They’re people who have changed the country (and maybe the world), not by pigmentation, but creativity, drive, intellect, courage, and/or commitment to a mission.
But as we’re being increasingly told, that’s the old reason for paying someone their due. In fact, meritocracy itself is racist.
The meal, it may be said, managed to slap every color of face: It was insulting to white people by leaving them out. And it was patronizing to others by lauding them for simply being born.
Presumably, the intention was to honor Black History Month. Hence, its apparent replacement may come as no surprise.
As relayed by The College Fix, following negative press over the initial plan, Gustavus Adolphus has announced a Black History Month lunch.
And this time, all epidermal tints are welcome to attend.
From a university email obtained by the Fix:
The Office of Equity and Inclusion would like to invite all faculty and staff to our Black History Month appreciation lunch.
This time around, achievement will be front-and-center:
[The event will] recognize and honor the contributions, achievements, and legacy of African Americans.
Bad press aside, financial considerations might’ve mightily deterred the college from excluding an entire race. University of Michigan Flint Professor Mark Perry had filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
From the document:
[Gustavus Adolphus College] is legally required to enforce Title VI as a condition of receiving federal financial assistance…
Mark talked of irony to OCR Chicago:
I couldn’t help but notice the irony that the College’s “Office of Equity and Inclusion” is hosting and sponsoring an event that clearly promotes “inequity and exclusion” rather than equity and inclusion by unfairly excluding White faculty and staff. … Further at least for the purposes of the luncheon event the College’s slogan “You Belong Here” doesn’t apply to White faculty and staff. Rather for White faculty staff, it would be more appropriate for the College to say “You Don’t Belong Here,” at least not at this event.
Where inclusion’s concerned, we’re living in interesting times. A common inclusive theme: exclusion.
Cases in point:
Disney Lops ‘Ladies and Gentlemen,’ Bounces ‘Boys and Girls’ in the Name of Inclusion
Gustavus Adolphus College has decided to include everyone in its new offering of free food.
Was it on principle of respecting all involved, or merely in order to avoid further scrutiny?
Either way, the initial plan seems to have been scrapped. According to TCF, the newly-advertised Black History Month event will occur at the same time and in the same room as the original no-whites lunch.
That’s one for integration, but the future surely has much more segregation in store.
-ALEX
See more content from me:
Gold Mettle: Olympian’s Penis Freezes, but He Won’t Give Up
Bill Maher Levels Left-Wing Lunacy Flocking the Faces of America’s Kids
The Masks Come off in Another Blue State, but How Long Will the Reprieve Really Last?
Find all my RedState work here.
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