(Columbia University during the 1968 anti-war protest)
You would think one of the most prestigious universities in the world would welcome and celebrate an acclaimed journalist, whose popular class on “Race and Media” was appreciated and loved by its students.
Well, that was before Donald Trump’s election.
Columbia University continues to entrench itself in the annals of history as one of the most shameful, pathetic, and cowardly institutions that bent the knee to Trump’s bullying at the expense of its reputation, legacy, and detriment to its own students.
Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah returned to her alma mater to teach at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. She was allowed to create and teach a course on how mass media has historically shaped our understanding of race and the global order. This is the class she wishes she had as a student. We’re seeing examples in real time of how dehumanizing language, erasure of stories, and a parroting of government policies allow a population to sit back and tolerate a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, the kidnapping and deportation of immigrants without due process, or the whitewashing of racist policies and fascist movements.
Coinciding with Columbia’s crackdown on its students for their pro-Palestinian activism, the Ivy League university abruptly cancelled Karen’s popular class. Now, a year later, Karen is coming forward with her story and, more importantly, offering the class to the public.
On April 21st, she offered the class and within four days she received over 2.700 applications.
Karen joins me to discuss the importance of discussing race and media, especially during this Administration and the rise of fascism abroad, and sheds some tears of joy and catharsis upon learning of the overwhelming support she has received from a global audience.
We need some good stories, folks! Here’s one.
Grab a chai and give us a listen.
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