EXCLUSIVE: Lecture materials reveal Arizona prof pushing CRT in political science course

Earlier this semester, a Professor of Public Policy at the University of Arizona claimed that meaningful minority protection under American law is a myth and that intent does not matter.

Campus Reform obtained exclusive slides from the PowerPoint presentation in which she made these and similar claims.

Earlier this semester, Suzanne Dovi, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Arizona (UA), claimed that it is a myth that minorities receive any meaningful protection under American law, and that intent does not matter when it comes to racism. 

Campus Reform obtained exclusive slides from the PowerPoint presentation in which she made these and similar claims.

Dovi delivered the presentation, titled “The New Jim Crow,” in a Political Ideas class (POL 203). 

On one slide, Dovi lists several “myths” about race in America. One of these alleged myths is that “[t]he US constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law protects racial minorities.” 

Another myth, Dovi asserts, is that U.S. incarceration rates can be explained by crime rates. Two other bullet points targeted the war on drugs, with one of them claiming that the drug war’s focus on rooting out drug kingpins is a myth. 

Dovi further alleged that the notion that most people charged with crimes are provided meaningful legal representation is false.

[RELATED: WATCH: What Do Students Know About The Constitution?] 

Another slide begins by asking, “What are the three questions for determining if something is about race?”


Provided answers to this question included “It is about race if a person of color thinks it is about race,” “It is about race if it disproportionately or differently affects people of color,” and “It is about race if it fits into a broader pattern of events that disproportionately or differently affect people of color.”


”Does Intent Matter?”, another slide rhetorically asks about racism, proceeding to offer a quote from Ijeoma Oluo in the negative: “It’s the system, and our complacency in that system, that gives racism its power, not individual intent.”

After being contacted by Campus Reform for comment, Dovi released a class announcement, according to an anonymous source, claiming that she was exposed to a “security threat.” In response, she removed all of her Zoom lectures.

“In light of the recent security threat that I have been exposed to, I will no longer zoom POL 203 and all zoom lectures have been removed,” the Apr. 18 announcement reads. 

Nicholas Giordano, Campus Reform Higher Ed Fellow and professor of political science, told this author on Apr. 14 that “this professor certainly did not grow up under the Jim Crow system, and has no clue what it was like to live under a segregated system.” 

“It goes to show that this professor isn’t an educator ... [but rather] an ideologue,” he added.

[RELATED: PROF. GIORDANO: Schools are failing students] 

Campus Reform contacted every university, organization, and individual mentioned. This article will be updated accordingly. 

Follow William Biagini on Instagram and Twitter.