UCSF offering ‘Racism in Science’ class to examine how science ‘perpetuates anti-Black racism’
The class ‘explores the relationship between notions of race and science and how scientific research has been informed by and perpetuates anti-Black racism.’
The course description also states that ‘[s]tudents will learn the principles of social justice-oriented scientific research and its potential.’
The University of California San Francisco is offering a “Racism in Science” course that examines “systemic racism in scientific research.”
The fall course claims to teach students “the historical background of systemic racism in scientific research” and “explores the relationship between notions of race and science and how scientific research has been informed by and perpetuates anti-Black racism.”
It also “examines the impact of bias and a lack of diversity in science and ways in which to address these deficiencies. Students will learn the principles of social justice-oriented scientific research and its potential.”
[RELATED: UCSF’s Anti-Racism Initiative seeks to combat ‘white fragility’, build ‘inclusive and diverse’ library]
A 2023 description for the course quoted Derrick Bell, who has been described as “The Godfather of Critical Race Theory,” saying: “[D]iscussions of injustices experienced by Black Americans frame and guide the needed work to end racial injustice for other groups.”
Course objectives listed under the 2023 description for the course included: “Diagram the centrality of anti-black racism in scientific research,” “Describe specific examples of racism in the history of science,” and “Execute the principles of social justice-oriented scientific research.”
[RELATED: UCSF prof suggests ‘Zionist doctors’ are an ‘impediment’ to US medical goal of ‘health equity’]
This is not the first time this year that UCSF found itself in the center of a controversy.
This February, UCSF hosted a speaker who said that “[w]hites are psychopaths, and their behavior represents an underlying biologically transmittable proclivity with roots deep in their evolutionary history.” He also stated that “rape culture in America is a legal, economic, and moral institution” and “we have it written in the law: You can rape black women.”
In January, UCSF also announced its plans to grant more than $100,000 for biomedical research projects “addressing anti-racism involving any race/ethnicity.”
Campus Reform has reached out to UCSF for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
