White liberals looooooove diversity. We all know that because they tell us all the time. They are 100% dedicated to defeating racial inequality–they tell us that all the time too.
Therefore one assumes that when a highly accomplished black woman is invited to address students, the white liberals’ dedication to racial justice would cause them to rejoice.
Therefore when an extremely intelligent black woman with a PhD, who speaks Russian, is a professor at Stanford, and has held one of the highest political offices in the nation is invited to be a guest speaker on campus, one would assume that all of the white liberals on campus would be lining up on the front row to hear her speak.
Therefore when Condoleezza Rice visits the university, one assumes the white liberals would welcome her warmly and respectfully, despite the fact that she is a Republican.
Well, that’s a lot of assumptions we just made. Let’s take a look at what really happened. Eric Owens of the Daily Caller reports a few details:
A small group of angry white liberals is trying to force the administration at the University of Minnesota to revoke a speaking invitation extended to Condoleezza Rice because she played a role in the U.S. invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan…
She is slated to deliver a speech on April 17 on civil rights as part of the “Distinguished Carlson Lecture Series” at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
The two white people attempting to block Rice’s appearance at the University of Minnesota are math professor William Messing and undergraduate student Nick Theis.
Ah, yes. Diversity.
Do you believe for a second that this has to do with Rice’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan? After all, as you may recall, former Senator Hillary Clinton and just about every other Democrat in Congress voted to authorize those wars. Do you believe that professor William Messing would be running around trying to boot Hillary off campus because of her vote if it had been her who was invited to give a speech?
No, no. This is about one thing–Rice’s affiliation with the Republican party.
You see, liberals hate Republicans, especially black Republicans. And black people who dare to venture away from the Democratic party are targets for liberals’ most bitter political vitriol. (See Clarence Thomas, Allen West, Ben Carson, Janice Rogers Brown, etc.)
In a a reversal of literal meaning reminiscent of the worst Soviet agitprop, the word “diversity” on the left today means precisely the opposite. If you are a black person, they consider you diverse only if you hold political views in line with the liberal/Democratic masses. You cannot think differently, or else they cast you aside or, as is happening up at the University of Minnesota, they try to demonize you and silence you.
Thankfully, the University of Minnesota rejected the effort to block Condi Rice’s speech, and she is expected to appear as scheduled later this week.
Unfortunately, the damage is done at UM. Outpourings of liberal bias against black conservatives such as this latest example do have a stiffing effect on political speech. And, perhaps worst of all, it reveals just how shallow the left’s commitment to “diversity” really is–since that commitment only seems to remain in effect so long as black people agree to loyally support the Democratic party.
Nathan Harden is editor of The College Fix and author of the book SEX & GOD AT YALE: Porn, Political Correctness, and a Good Education Gone Bad.
Follow Nathan on Twitter @NathanHarden
(Image: USEmbassyNewDehli.Flickr)
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