A Binghamton University professor wrote in her syllabus that she would prioritize calling on “minorities, women and shy people,” adding that she would likely call on white males last. She was told to remove the wording from her syllabus, but now activist students and professors are defending her actions.
Syracuse.com reported that Binghamton sociology professor Ana Maria Candela made the addition to her syllabus. The New York Post added that Candela wrote that “if you are white, male, or someone privileged by the racial and gender structures of our society to have your voice easily voiced and heard, we will often ask you to hold off on your questions or comments to give others priority and will come back to you a bit later or at another time.”
“Our experience with this practice is that within little time, those who feel most privileged to speak begin to take the initiative to hold space for others who feel less comfortable speaking first, while those who tend to be more silenced in our society grow more comfortable speaking. As you can imagine, it has tremendous benefits for our society as a whole when we learn to hold space and listen to others whose voices are typically disregarded and silenced,” the syllabus said.
Candela was told to remove the policy, Fox News reported, and a spokesperson for the school said it violated school policy.
“The Faculty Staff Handbook outlines principles of effective teaching, which include valuing and encouraging student feedback, encouraging appropriate faculty-student interaction, and respecting the diverse talents and learning styles of students. The syllabus statement you have brought to our attention clearly violates those principles. The faculty member has updated their syllabus, removing the section in question, and is now in compliance with the Faculty Staff Handbook,” the spokesperson told the outlet.
But that was not the end of the story. WSKG reported that more than 100 people attended a rally to support Candela’s policy. Professor Tina Chronopoulos told the outlet that Candela’s policy shouldn’t have been removed.
“[Faculty] are worried that, you know, whenever they bring up, quote unquote, ‘these difficult topics,’ that they’ll get blowback from people who feel like they’re being discriminated against,” she said.
Candela herself told rally attendees that she appreciates the support she has received.
“That tells you something about what students are experiencing on this campus,” Candela reportedly said. “That you have to write a statement to help them to feel safe coming into the classroom space, to speak their voices, to have their voices heard.”
The College Fix reported that Binghamton sociology professor William Martin began a change.org petition to support Candela, claiming her policy is “inclusive.”
“Dr. Candela recognizes as we do that our classroom discussions are often dominated by a minority of persons reflecting societal class, racial and gender inequalities. … Many of our students all too often feel marginalized, and discussions are constrained and limited as a result. We should not pretend otherwise,” Martin wrote.
Martin added that Candela should be “celebrate[d]” for her policy.
As the Fix noted, not everyone supports Candela. One student in her class, Sean Harrigan, filed an anti-gender discrimination complaint against the professor for the policy.
“How am I supposed to get a full participation grade if I’m not called on because of the way I was born?” Harrigan told the Post.
HD Editor’s Note: Why Is This News Biblically Relevant?
Schools have been used to overload children and young adults with radical and anti-Biblical worldviews, even coming at the expense of education itself.
From a Christian perspective, we know that the forceful removal of God from schools paved the way for redefinitions of morality, race, equality, and history.
The Bible teaches that “from one man [God] made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands” (Act 17:26). In other words, every human being is created in the image of God, starting from the same man (Adam). We are all therefore one race, one family, and equal one to another (Genesis 1:27).
It is also solely through anti-Biblical teaching that the idea can be espoused that skin color determines whether a person is inherently racist or a victim of racism.
The Bible states that there “is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11). Furthermore, 1 Samuel 16:7 says that the Lord does not see people as man does “for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” and Jesus encourages us to do the same (John 7:24).
When Jesus’ disciples came to Him and asked, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” Jesus explained to them that one of the signs that would precede His coming would be “nations” rising against “nations.”
The word “nations” found in this verse (Matthew 24:7) is from the Greek word “ethnos,” where we get our English word for “ethnicity.” Therefore, this verse can also be read that“ethnicity shall rise against ethnicity” in the last days.
Racism is not new. However, what is new to our generation is the fabricated racism taught in schools, espoused by media, and reiterated by politicians. This stoking of division will, in the not too distant future, lead to genuine widespread racism. Racism is a sin, we are all created in the image of God. Creating division and hatred is a sin (Prov. 6:16-19, Luke 11:17, 1 John 2:9). All of these things are deeply rooted in a rebellion against God, His Word, and His design.
