LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) has issued the following statement after the University of Michigan-Dearborn sparked ire for creating two virtual cafes, one for ‘Black, Indigenous and People of Color’ and the other for ‘Non-POC (People of Color)’ as a way for people to share their experiences on race:
“I am shocked and saddened that the Center for Social Justice & Inclusion at the University of Michigan-Dearborn responded to the current rise of division and hate in our country by hosting two separate — but seemingly equal — virtual coffee hours for white students and students of color. This decision flies in the face of their mission and core value statement, which calls for an ‘inclusive, student-focused institution.’
“Our public universities must be a place for people of all backgrounds to come together and eradicate race issues, not add fuel to an already burning fire. All students, regardless of the color of their skin, should have the same opportunities and access to resources. To arbitrarily divide them up by the color of their skin is repulsive and archaic, and far from the academic excellence standards that I know this university is capable of upholding.”
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