UK university course: Compliments imply racial minorities are 'generally not as intelligent as White people'
Imperial College London issued a guide saying complimenting foreign student’s English is a 'microaggression.'
The school also issued a list of phrases that should not be used when talking to students on campus.
Imperial College London’s Faculty of Engineering released an online course defining and giving examples of microaggressions, which the school defines as “subtle, invisible, and insidious.”
The course states that Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) students by saying “you’re so articulate” or “you speak English so well” sends the message that “BAME people are generally not as intelligent as White people.” Furthermore, the compliments also send the message that BAME people are “less intelligent” or “less capable” than white people.
Another example of a microaggression is saying, “all lives matter.” If a student says, “all lives matter” or “there is only one race, the human race,” it “denies the significance of BAME people’s racial/ethnic experience and history.” Additionally, the statements indicate that a white person “does not want to or need to acknowledge race,” according to the course.
UCLA Junior Michelle Weston told Campus Reform people “need to stop finding innocuous things to be offended about.”
“Whoever assumes that articulate is synonymous with ‘white’ is the real racist. The world has more important problems to worry about like homelessness and poverty,” she said.
California College Republicans Communications Director Dylan Martin told Campus Reform the “furtherance of microaggression victimhood culture” at colleges and universities does a “disservice to students.”
“It teaches them that they should search for ways to be offended — even by compliments. Complimenting someone’s English — if they are not a native speaker — is a kindness. It takes years to master any language, and it is an accomplishment.”
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Martin added students should be “empowered to defend themselves and their character.” “Universities need to spend less time teaching microaggression victimhood mentalities, and more “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” A lesson many of us learned long ago. Some lessons shouldn’t change.”
Campus Reform reached out to Imperial College London, asking if students had expressed outrage or support for the course. This article will be updated accordingly.
