The College Fix

OPINION: UMich cannot remain truly neutral on ‘contested political or social matters’ if it continues to endorse ‘anti-racism’

University of Michigan officials need to decide if they are going to implement “institutional neutrality” or if they will continue to pour taxpayer money into “anti-racism” programming.

The regents announced in October “the University will maintain a position of institutional neutrality on political or social issues and events not directly related to its internal governance.” Three months later, the school continues to embrace “anti-racism.”

This theory argues that any disparities among racial groups is due to racism. “A racist policy is any measure that produces or sustains racial inequity between racial groups,” according to Boston University Professor Ibram Kendi.

The school has a National Center for Institutional Diversity Anti-Racism Collaborative which recently announced applications are open for its “Anti-Racism Research & Community Impact Faculty Fellowship and Anti-Racism Graduate Research Grants.”

But this is clearly taking a “position” on “contested political or social matters.” The university is explicitly endorsing the “anti-racist” approach to racial matters and funding its work.

And that work also, by extension, endorses certain “political” or “social” views.

For example, the collaborative funded a project on “commodification of land” in “Palestine,” as previously reported by The College Fix.

So the university has reviewed the applications and decided it will endorse a project with a clear slant against Israel.

To be fair, those applications and decisions could have been made before the October regents’ vote.

And it can take time to fully implement a new directive. For example, Syracuse University broke its pledge just three days after announcing it, with social media posts in support of LGBT “pride.”

But the University of Michigan is now announcing continued grants through its Anti-Racism Collaborative, showing it remains committed to taking a stance in support of one theory about racial politics and relations.

Institutional neutrality for public universities and non-religious private universities is largely a good idea.

Public universities need not create pro-abortion task forces (as the University of Michigan previously had done), and it’s not necessary to weigh in on everything President Donald Trump does.

However, the university needs to decide if its commitment will stay as just a resolution or if it will truly embrace what it promised to do – remain neutral.

MORE: Trump ‘serves wealthy white American men,’ professor says

IMAGE: University of Michigan

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