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Class included reading about Clarence Thomas, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris
University of Florida will no longer offer a course on black politics due to low enrollment.
The College Fix originally asked Professor Roshaun Colvin for comment on the course titled “African American Politics and Policy.”
The course, set to be offered this semester, would cover “the political behavior of African Americans in the United States” and included readings from Justice Clarence Thomas’ autobiography, “My Grandfather’s Son.”
The class also planned to have students read articles critical of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the course.
The course is no longer listed on Simple Syllabus, the university’s website for posting class information.
Colvin told The Fix the course would be canceled but did not respond to follow up inquiries.
Public affairs director Cynthia Roldán told The Fix the class “was among a handful of courses that were canceled due to low enrollment.”
The class included watching an interview with Justice Thomas and Justice Thurgood Marshall and writing a paper about his beliefs.
A former clerk for Thomas who now leads the Judicial Crisis Network offered cautious optimism about the class. She made the comments before knowing the class was canceled.
Carrie Severino said the autobiography was “an excellent perspective to bring into a class like this.” However, she noted that since the way the materials would be presented in class is unknown, it is “hard to know whether Justice Thomas’ views on the law and his personal contributions will be handled well.”
Severino was grateful the class included Thomas because, “frequently his contribution is overlooked by scholars of African-American history, as he doesn’t fit their expected narrative.”
She called another text used in the class “outdated,” in reference to a book called “The Loneliness of the Black Republican.”
She noted to The Fix that “the text being used to discuss Black Republicanism ends in the Reagan era which ignores the last 40 years of history and the significant developments, particularly in the last 10 years, in the role of African-Americans within the Republican Party and the MAGA movement.”
She also expressed concern about the Supreme Court cases used in this course.
One special concern she expressed was the treatment of Supreme Court cases in the course. She said “students are given three cases regarding racial preferences in education without (unless I am missing it) being asked to read the 2023 Students for Fair Admissions case which effectively overturned the cases on this syllabus.”
Severino called it equivalent “to having students read Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey and ignoring the Dobbs decision.”
For those who are interested in a fuller perspective on Justice Thomas and his role in African American politics, Severino recommended the 2020 documentary “Created Equal,” which gives a picture of Thomas’ personality and views in his own words.
The Black Law Students Association did not respond to multiple emails in the past month asking for comment on the course.
Editor’s note: The requested last name for Cynthia Roldan has been amended.
MORE: Black students demand access to Justice Thomas’ course
