The 'From Integration To Anti-Racist (FIAR)' workshop series also focused on ways to become a better ally for people of color
New York University's Metro Center hosted an anti-racism workshop "designed specifically for White public school parents" and geared toward facilitating more equitable, anti-racist attitudes while reflecting on the impact of internalized White superiority.
The "From Integration To Anti-Racist (FIAR) Workshop Series" was organized by the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools (MCRETS) and featured a series of six once-monthly, two-hour-long online sessions ranging from February to June, according to a since-deleted webpage.
Though page detailing the series disappeared from NYU's Steinhardt School of Education's website, it was preserved elsewhere online along with a corresponding registration form.
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A view of New York University sign on the campus building. (John Nacion/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Registrants paid $360 to join the workshop series featuring podcasts, exercises, discussions, readings and more to help teach lessons on how to foster more inclusive attitudes.
Workshop topics listed on the program's since-deleted webpage included, "How internalized white superiority shows up in our actions, relationships, and institutions," "Being allies/accomplices to parents of color in our schools & a historical look at white anti-racist allies," "Building authentic relationships with other parents across race & class" and "Building an anti-racist practice & interrupting racism when confronted with it."
"These workshop sessions will also engage real-time challenges participants are facing in their schools with feedback and help to work through, as well as discussion of actions we can take to challenge and dismantle racist policies and practices in our schools and communities," the page also read.
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An NYU program designed for White public school parents to challenge their own attitudes toward people of color, organized by the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools (MCRETS), garnered criticism for being exclusionary. (iStock)
Though the deleted webpage does not specifically state that people of color were not allowed in the program, audio obtained and posted to YouTube by conservative outlet the Washington Free Beacon captured one presumed parent asking university officials why people of color were not present in the workshop's discussions, adding that the practice seemed "counter-intuitive."
"People of color are dealing with racism all the time," a woman identified by the outlet as Steinhardt’s Education Justice Research group associate director Barbara Gross responded in the video. "Like every minute of every day. It’s a harm on top of a harm for them to hear our racist thoughts."
Ilya Shapiro, director of constitutional studies at The Manhattan Institute, weighed in on the workshop's practices, calling them "quintessentially illegal," the Free Beacon reported.
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The outlet also obtained a copy of flyers they said series organizers handed out entitled "Why a White Space," attempting to justify barring people of color from attending the discussions.
"In order to challenge racism and dismantle White supremacy, White people need to unlearn racism and discover the ways we enact White privilege. This is a long, difficult, and sometimes painful process." the flyer reads.
"It’s helpful to have a space where other White people engaged in this process can support and challenge us, without having to always subject people of color to further undue trauma or pain as we stumble and make mistakes. Having a community of White anti-racist people gives us hope, helps us grow our practice, and gives us strength to stay in it for the long haul."
Though Fox News Digital reached out to NYU and The Education Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative (EJ-ROC) but did not receive an immediate response from the latter.
NYU Spokesman John Beckman provided the following statement:
"This program, which has the important and valuable goal of reducing racism, is part of a large portfolio of offerings provided by the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools for parents of all backgrounds. While this particular curriculum was principally intended for white parents of public school children who had a particular interest in this kind of anti-bias training, the program's materials and content were not clear enough about it being open to all. NYU is working with program leadership to ensure that the program conforms with University’s standards and applicable law."
Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.
