Over the past week, groups have been popping up on Facebook claiming to be “white student unions” affiliated with universities. One of these groups is Union of White NYU Students, which posted its first status last Friday night.
What does “diversity” mean other than “not white”? I’m not sure there is an answer to this. Is the word “diversity” itself a discriminatory term against whites?
Posted by Union of White NYU Students on Friday, November 20, 2015
The group, previously named NYU White Student Union, changed its name after facing backlash that they weren’t affiliated with the university. The Washington Post reports that more than 30 of these groups have shown up around the country at universities such as the University of Missouri and the University of California, Berkeley.
“Several schools, including the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Illinois and Penn State University have condemned the pages claiming to be affiliated with their respective institutions, which have since been removed,” the Huffington Post reports.
To address the situation, NYU released a statement on Monday stating that the Facebook page is not affiliated with the university:
“These kinds of pages have cropped up at a number of universities that have sought to have a real dialogue about race and inclusion. There is no such organization as this at NYU. We call on all parties to contribute thoughtfully and respectfully to the discourse on race and to reject efforts to derail or distort the conversation.”
Despite the statement and backlash, the group continues to post material claiming to be a valid student organization.
For those out there claiming that this is a hoax or a troll or simply can’t be real, I ask them to challenge their…
Posted by Union of White NYU Students on Monday, November 23, 2015
Many of the pages include a similar “about” description claiming to welcome students of European descent (and allies) to let their voices be heard. Many believe that these groups do not have an actual presence on college campuses, but simply exist online to antagonize people pushing for better treatment of people of color.