The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscriber site) has a blistering op-ed today from Ohio State librarian Travis McDade on the utter uselessness of “the privilege walk,” a favorite exercise at university orientation sessions.

Here is how McDade describes the “privilege walk,” which he sums up at “well-intentioned nonsense”:

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The privilege walk usually takes place on a basketball court. Students line up at midcourt and, depending on their responses to statements read by a facilitator, move toward or away from the baseline in front of them. The game ends when the first person reaches the baseline.

The statements, designed to separate whites from persons of color and males from females, fall into two equally pernicious categories. First are the blatantly racist statements. Their central assumption is that all persons of color had a uniformly grim upbringing in poor neighborhoods with broken families and ill-equipped schools. For instance: “If you were raised in an area where there was prostitution or drug activity, take one step back,” or “If you had to rely on public transportation growing up, take a step back.”

Second are vague statements that students can interpret in different ways. For instance: “If you were ever denied employment because of your race, ethnicity, or gender, take one step back” –?as if you could always be sure why you didn’t get a job –?or “If your parents were professionals, take one step forward.” … Students of color are quickly conditioned by the overtly racist statements to interpret the vague ones in ways that reflect badly on them. … By the time in the privilege walk that many of the vague questions are asked, the students have gotten the point and don’t bother to ask. They understand that when in doubt, persons of color are to step back and whites are to move forward. …

Meanwhile, without a hint of irony, the white male students have begun trying to win. Taking cues from each other, they make larger and larger strides toward the finish line at each opportunity. … While the white males are urging each other toward the finish line, the African-Americans –?particularly the females, the group supposed to do the worst in the exercise –?form another clique, sequestered off in one segment of the court, usually chatting about something unrelated to the walk. …

In the end, the privilege walk builds barriers that might not have otherwise existed. Persons of color rapidly develop an us-against-them mentality and refuse to move forward or backward except in lockstep. African-Americans who didn’t grow up in dire circumstances feel that responding to the statements correctly would be both a betrayal of their group and a public admission that they are not “authentic.”
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