by Haika Mrema
The University of Connecticut (UConn) will officially make its “Anti-Black Racism” (ABR) course mandatory for all undergraduate students as part of the core curriculum’s new social justice requirement.
Provost Anne D’Alleva announced on May 17 that the requirement will go into effect during the 2024-2025 academic year with a course that will be similar to the one-credit ABR elective that has been offered since 2021.
“An education at our university must provide many opportunities to confront the history and current reality of injustice and human rights abuses, and we expect our students to be leaders in creating a more just and equitable world. ABR and the curricular changes that are in development are a powerful point of departure from the status quo,” D’Alleva stated.
University Spokesperson Stephanie Reitz told Campus Reform that the course requirement was created by the University Senate, which approved the motion 36-25. “The Senate’s discussion includes different perspectives voiced by various members of that body, including faculty and students, so we would refer you to that discussion,” Reitz stated.
According to UConn’s website, the fall 2022 version of the course was designed to instruct students about “foundational concepts related to Black consciousness, Black resistance, Black resilience, and intersectional solidarity.”
Course objectives also included the ability to “[q]uestion the consequences of anti-Black racism in areas such as Black health and wellness; Black agency and resilience; and/or anti-Blackness in higher education.” Students were also informed on how to “[l]ocate valuable resources throughout the University of Connecticut that work to disrupt anti-Black racism for the collective good.”
Citing newly created classes like “Why the Jews? Confronting Antisemitism” and “Confronting Anti-Asian Racism,” D’Alleva also noted that the ABR course has served as a template to “help us as a community to strive for a more equitable and inclusive university and broader society.”
On May 1, UConn’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion endorsed the ABR class requirement, referring to the mandate as “an important starting point for addressing barriers to success on our campus and in our society, especially given the spate of anti-Black racism that was made apparent by the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and that persists in current efforts to ban Critical Race Theory.”
“Making the anti-Black racism course a requirement for every Husky undergraduate is not the final step, but it is the necessary next step in improving the living and learning experiences at UConn, and in enhancing the value of a UConn education,” the office suggested.
– – –
Haika Mrema is a Texas correspondent for Campus Reform. She is currently attending Baylor University and pursuing a Marketing degree. Additionally, Haika serves as the Vice President for her Network of Enlightened Women chapter and writes occasional op-ed’s for her school newspaper: The Baylor Lariat.
Photo “University of Connecticut” by University of Connecticut.
A FAR MORE accurate headline would be “University of Connecticut requires passing RACIST “black” course to graduate.
Isn’t it funny that there is no requirement for anti-WHITE racism. If you don’t believe it exists, just enter the Armed Services.
Good to know not to consider this university when choosing a school for your children. The next thing you know there will be mandatory classes for Anti Asian, White, Hispanic, European, Indian, etc courses.
???? Really hope students seeking entry Drop
This is another anti-white racist propaganda woke agenda. Hopefully any government cuts off any funding to this so called “university. May God help and bless the USA and reverse this nonsense.
If the “Anti-Black Racism” course isn’t just the first step UConn will require, what’ll the nature of the follow-ons be?
Will there be a requirement to affirm the 1619 Project and CRT? For good grades will they have to participate in BLM, ANTIFA, or BDS demonstrations? Will they have to write progressive polemics? Will they have to publicly eschew conservative organizations, forums, and sites, or even have to campaign and vote Democratic?
No, no Liberal Progressive school would ever suggest such let alone demand it. Right?
Is it FREE?? If not why not
No class to teach anti-white racism or is anti-black racism and critical race theory the same thing as anti-white racism??
Those folks at universities act like they have been asleep for the past 50 years, much like Rip Van Winkle! I see so many bright, successful Black Americans on TV and in the news these days. And I note if they say anything like get an education, work hard and realize the American dream, some chastise “them” for not taking a hard view that Black Americans need special help to succeed!! The way you can ‘help” black Americans or anyone else is to be sure they have good schools, (school choice) teaching math, English, reading, history, treat all humans the same way – be courteous, reward excellence, encourage talent of any kind – academic, artistic, musical, athletic and send them out into the world!! Cripes! You are required to PASS an Anti-Black Racism course to graduate?? This reeks of Brain Washing which has certainly been going on in colleges for years – where somewhat younger English teachers don’t know the difference between your and you’re; it’s as a conjunction and its (no comma) showing possession because they didn’t “learn it to get an English Degree in College”! Who thinks that’s a quality education and further the same teacher thinks a Sophomore high school student is well served in English with an assignment that says “find a social injustice in your community and write a paper – spelling, punctuation, and grammar will not be counted against your grade”???
Find another college! Stop bending over and letting the wacko liberals dictate how you feel. Eighty percent of the poverty, squalor, laziness, violence, drugs and murder are black driven. Now these freaks want to put them on a pedestal. Sick!