U Illinois admits ‘white supremacy,' 'white privilege' workshop is 'not a debate'

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is hosting multiple online workshops through July 28 titled “White Supremacy and Music.” The description for ongoing workshops, which began June 30, explicitly states that the discussion is “not a debate.”

Details about the workshop were to various students in the College of Music via email, a copy of which was obtained by Campus Reform.

”This online workshop will explore the ways that white supremacy manifests in our lives, our communities, and our work in the School of Music at the University of Illinois,” the description of the workshop states. “It is intended for students who hold white privilege though all students are welcome to participate.

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The email goes on to explain that the workshop will cover topics such as “anti-blackness, color blindness, cultural appropriation, optical allyship, racist stereotypes, tokenism, tone policing, and white apathy, centering, exceptionalism, feminism, fragility, privilege, saviorism, silence, superiority, and supremacy.”

Participants will be required to read the book Me and White Supremacy by Layla Saad. 

The email warns nonwhite students that its lessons are geared toward white students. 

”This workshop is about white supremacy: Students who do not identify as white and do not hold white privilege are welcomed to observe and participate but should understand that the readings, journal prompts, and discussions are designed for individuals who hold white privilege,” the description states.

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The school further explains that “this workshop is not a debate: This is not a platform for debating the existence of white privilege or white supremacy,” says the description. “It is assumed that participants already acknowledge these concepts, though they will be reviewed and defined in accessible terms.”

The facilitator of the workshop, Adam Kruse, is an assistant professor of music education. According to his faculty profile, his current research focuses on “Hip-Hop music learning and engagements of Hip-Hop culture in school music settings with an emphasis on race and racism.”

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @realBlairNelson