I thought this would be a good topic for discussion. Mount Holyoke College, a tier 1 liberal arts college in Massachussets recently announced a "White Only pre-orientation program." The school says this optional pre-orientation will "[Promote] Intercultural Dialogue and [Create] Inclusion."
The voluntary pre-orientation will cover the traditional issues of race and social justice. It will also help foster understanding of other races through workshops and dialogues on an individual basis, and through the program’s collaboration with the other pre-orientation groups, which include students of color and international students.
My personal feeling about this is that the school is trying to do something good, but approaching it in a divisive manner that will ultimately backfire. It seems to me it would make more sense have a mandatory class that deals with these issues and is required by ALL students, not just white students. Issues of race and social justice affect everyone.
One of the things that concerns me is a statement from the dean of students:
By learning about one’s identity and the cultures of outside groups, one will become a better individual, and this will make for a richer community...
That phrase "culture of outside groups" makes me uncomfortable.
So here is a topic for discussion, is there ever a good reason to divide students by race?