They can’t handle the truth… Florida Gulf Coast University took no chances this week, enlisting two campus police officers to sit in on the first day of a course on “White Racism” that has attracted a lot of attention. According to a course description, the class will cover everything from ways to challenge white supremacy to the ideologies, laws, policies and practices in this country that have allowed for “white racial domination over those racialized as non-white.” Sounds like the kind of education that needs to be part of every social studies curriculum. Unfortunately not everyone agrees, so the university is taking steps to keep students and faculty safe.
According to News-Press reports:
“We have prepared for any possible distractions related to Tuesday’s first class of the White Racism course, but we are expecting normal campus civility as our students engage in this and other courses at the spring semester’s start,” Susan Evans, FGCU’s spokeswoman and chief of staff, said in an email.
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Ted Thornhill, who teaches the class has received a number of disturbing emails and voicemails after news of the class spread. He said some of the students enrolled in the class also voiced some concerns about their safety.
“I think most of us don’t anticipate there being any unrest or protest or anything like that,” Thornhill said. “But it’s more of a prudent measure to have law enforcement present just in case.”Sociology major Ché Hall, 20, is one of the 50 students signed up to take the course. She said she has heard chatter about students showing up on the first day of class just to see if others cause problems, but it’s not something she is too concerned about.“I think a lot of people who said that they would come to start issues are just saying that and won’t actually come,” she said.A security plan was put in place after Thornhill, FGCU President Mike Martin and others met in December. Thornhill wouldn’t say if the police presence will continue throughout the semester.“I don’t think that we would share many of those details for individuals who have negative intentions,” he said.“I think that we will be safe and that students don’t have anything to worry about except for completing their reading and doing their work and engaging with the material.”
Here’s just one example of the ways Thornhill has been targeted online.
#Racebaiting teacher. #racist-enabling school. Imagine classes geared towards #racial #stereotypes awareness. You probably have course names forming in your minds already.#pathetic #ignorant news-press.com/story/news/edu…
Thornhill began receiving emails and voice messages after news about the class reached the media and social networks.
“The number of emails I got pales in comparison to the thousands and thousands of comments and post on all manner of social media and traditional media outlet websites that said things that were unspeakable,” he said.Thornhill sent FGCU police 46 pages of emails and some voicemails that were left for him regarding the course. Thornhill said he sent the emails and voice messages to police out of an abundance of caution.“I can call a black man a (n-word) when it’s appropriate, and I do,” one of the callers said. “I am not ashamed of it. It doesn’t make me a racist. If Jay-Z can say it and a black man can say it, I can say it.”
While Thornhill and his class haven’t been threatened with violence, the level of vitriol was pretty high from some opponents of the class.
“Cancer (Stage 4) is what you and your family deserve for spreading hate, lies & intolerance,” an emailer wrote.Thornhill said some people’s reaction to the course have been “upsetting but perhaps not entirely surprising given the nature of these more rabid white racists.”“I take these type of things seriously just like when people were writing racist things on the whiteboard and then posting things around campus,” he said. “You never know what people are thinking and what they might be capable of. It’s good to be cautious.”
We hope and pray that campus police keep Thornhill and his FGCU students safe. There are a lot of crazies out there and it’s insane that people are so resistant to the truth being told
