Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Apparently, a “white privilege” retreat is a real thing.
Fox News’ Todd Starnes writes:
The University of Vermont recently held a retreat exclusively for Caucasian students so they could explore white privilege.
“Examining White Privilege: A Retreat for Undergraduate Students Who Self-Identify as White,” was the name of the three-day conference, as first reported by the website Campus Reform. It’s a bit wordy for a t-shirt, in my humble opinion. They should’ve just called it “Blame the White Guy 2015.”
The retreat was sponsored by the university’s African, Latino, Asian, Native American and Bi/Multiracial Student Center – ALANA for short.
…ALANA said the purpose of the getaway was for white students to “recognize and understand white privilege from an individual experience as well as the impact of white privilege on the UVM community and beyond.”
They also felt it was necessary for the university’s white students to “conceptualize and articulate whiteness from a personal and systematic lens.”
I have no idea what that means.
Neither do I.
But for those keeping score at home, yes, this university IS taxpayer-funded.
This story really strikes a nerve with me for a number of reasons, and here’s why.
Newsflash kids: you aren’t a victim of anything. There’s a word for rounding up all the pale faced kids at a University and making them feel like they are oppressing their classmates: it’s called bullying, and it’s cruel and wrong.
Those who know me, or have read my book Blacklash know that I gave up opportunities for a track scholarship in high school to get a part-time job and help support my family instead. Was I angry about it? No. Disappointed? Yes, but it was my sacrifice and I kept moving forward. It was a privilege to be able to work hard and contribute to my family.
It took me 11 years of working a full-time job and going to school at night to complete my undergraduate degree. Eleven years of cramming myself into the subway during rush hour to finish the second half of 18-hour days. My weekends were occupied doing homework and scheduling group projects with my much younger classmates.
But was I a victim? No. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to finally get my degree through an employer tuition reimbursement plan, if I was willing to put in the hard work. And I did.
I can only imagine the lifestyles of these full-time college students who spend those precious hours upon hours of free time complaining about how hard their lives are. If only we were all that lucky!
Being a student at the University of Vermont is a privilege. Going to college at all is a privilege. Being born in a free country and the Land of Opportunity is a privilege.
So forget about checking privilege, kids- check your attitude.
