Protest For Academic Justice @CSULA
Melvin Armstrong Jr
Protest For Academic Justice @CSULA
On Tuesday, January 21st, the Academic Senate of Cal State LA voted down a proposal that would require all students to take a class on race/ethnicity as a part of the existing “diversity” requirement.
The proposal came in response to the modification introduced by the General Education Revision committee that lists race/ethnicity as one of many acceptable criteria for diversity courses (which could now focus on religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or race/ethnicity). We think it’s atrocious that at Cal State LA, where upwards of 80% of students are people of color, one could graduate without even an introduction to race/ethnicity. Race continues to color every facet of our lives, from our economic position, to our education, to our health, to our freedom. Next Tuesday, January 28th, a proposal will be made to require all students to take at least one class in one of the Ethnic Studies departments (Asian/Asian American Studies, Chicano Studies, Latin American Studies, or Pan-African Studies).
We believe that an understanding of race is central to being an educated person and is just as important as other GE requirements. Let’s show up, stand up, and speak up next Tuesday at 1:30 in Golden Eagle Ballroom 3.