Senators ask DOJ to investigate segregation at colleges
The Senators expressed concern that segregated trainings and learning events at these universities stand in conflict with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination in federally funded programs.
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia asked US Attorney General William Barr to investigate racial segregation at American universities.
Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Georgia) sent a letter to US Attorney General William Barr, asking him to investigate instances of racial segregation on college campuses.
Citing numerous examples of an “alarming trend of apparent racial segregation” at American universities, the Senators asked Barr to “investigate these and similar cases.” Sen. Cotton and Sen. Loeffler note that the incidents appear to violate Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race in federally funded programs or activities.”
The Senators mentioned the University of Michigan’s “virtual cafes,” whichsplitparticipants and moderators on the basis of race. Participants were encouraged to view the world as “members of a particular racial group.” The authors compared this phenomenon to instances addressed by the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education.
[RELATED: UMich hosts space for ‘students that do not identify as persons of color’]
The authors also mentioned an RA training at the University of Kentucky, which segregated trainees into white and non-white groupings. Campus Reform reported on the incident in October.
One individual who was subjugated to the training told Campus Reform that trainees “were told how privileged we were and how we needed to do everything we could to make the staff of color feel accepted and welcome.” However, the training “never mentioned racism towards White people.”
[RELATED: U Kentucky creates two RA groups: ‘One for RAs who identify as Black...one for RAs who identify as White’]
Campus Reform has reported on the incidents at the University of Michigan and the University of Kentucky, as well as several others. The authors referred Barr to a report by the National Association of Scholars, which noted hundreds of similar incidents.
“Racial segregation is antithetical to our nation’s creed, expressed in the Founding documents, that ‘all men are created equal,’” concluded the Senators.
Campus Reform has reached out to Sen. Cotton but did not receive a response.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @BenZeisloft
