On Tuesday, a student at Michigan State University set up a table on university property donned with a sign that read, “Free masks and gloves for minorities only! $10 per item for white people!” according to a tip submitted to Young America’s Foundation’s Campus Bias Tipline.
The student, whose name is unknown, tweeted Tuesday to advertise her table.
“MSU STUDENTS! I will be in Brody Square from 1pm to 2pm today giving out FREE masks/gloves/etc. to MINORITIES ONLY!! $10 per item, if you’re white. Spread the word!” the tweet read.
After her stunt began to make rounds on social media, she clarified that it was a project. “So the point of this project is to demonstrate how minorities and disabled persons have been negatively impacted by the pandemic versus other groups. I wanted to reverse the privilege and show how it feels to be discriminated against based off skin or disability.”
She added that she received negative reactions from her white peers, which was “a result of their own privilege.” She also claimed that “The roles are already reversed.”
She then boasted that she explained “…this is literally how the real world works” to the offended students. “The point of this experiment was to get the negative reaction out of my white counterparts and the positive reaction from minorities. Mission accomplished for sure.”
Afterward, she complained that the university had shut down her table. She claimed hypocrisy and accused the school being unresponsive to other racist incidents. “…a black woman, trying to give privilege to those who lack, and all of a sudden its a problem?” she asked.
The student bragged that her professor loved her “project” and even commended her “bravery.”
She continued to mock students who were concerned by her display on Twitter into Wednesday.
Chairman of MSU’s Young Americans for Freedom Charlie Jones told YAF he was disheartened by the display. “At the heart of our democratic society is a general understanding that one’s worth is not determined by their immutable characteristics,” said Jones.
Michigan State University did not respond to YAF’s request for comment in time for publication.
While this is a repulsive display of racism, it’s not at all surprising given the rapid transformation of America’s institutions of higher learning. Marxism veiled as social justice has become the bread and butter of our universities, rather than equality, education, and the free exchange of ideas. The only way for students to change this is to continue to spread the ideals of freedom, equality, and individualism.
