Student Activism is Serious Business
November 17, 2015 5:02 PM Subscribe
"There is often condescension in examinations of these supposedly fragile young people who don’t understand the real world. College students do, however, understand the real world, because they aren’t just students: They do not abandon their class background or sexuality or race or ethnicity when they matriculate, and their issues do not vanish when they register for courses. We should not dismiss their valid concerns."
To do so, to invalidate their experiences, would be to invalidate their diversity and ignore their hurt. American colleges and universities have always been incubators for the privileged, and the only people who continue to operate there with some guarantee of physical and emotional safety are white, heterosexual men. Is it any wonder, then, that students are demanding a basic guarantee of safety?
And another article from The Guardian:
"Angus Johnston, a historian of student activism based at City University of New York, reflected: “The stereotype that has arisen in the United States in recent months about student protests is that student activists are coddled, they’re crybabies, they’re looking for the world to be made safe and peaceful and gentle for them. It’s kind of hard to make that argument when the protester you’re talking about is a 300lb linebacker.”
To do so, to invalidate their experiences, would be to invalidate their diversity and ignore their hurt. American colleges and universities have always been incubators for the privileged, and the only people who continue to operate there with some guarantee of physical and emotional safety are white, heterosexual men. Is it any wonder, then, that students are demanding a basic guarantee of safety?
And another article from The Guardian:
"Angus Johnston, a historian of student activism based at City University of New York, reflected: “The stereotype that has arisen in the United States in recent months about student protests is that student activists are coddled, they’re crybabies, they’re looking for the world to be made safe and peaceful and gentle for them. It’s kind of hard to make that argument when the protester you’re talking about is a 300lb linebacker.”
This post was deleted for the following reason: We have another post on student fragility from earlier today - one is probably enough. -- restless_nomad
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