Wuf, nah. And LMAO at the description.
Here’s where I see racism. You set up your fraudulent curriculum, so you can discredit valid criticism as “racist.” Using race as a shield for fraud is extremely racist and evil. Devalues the suffering that millions of people have suffered for actual racist reasons.
One of the justifications (which I agree with) for academic exceptions is to create opportunity for high school kids who could otherwise slip through the cracks. But it’s only a good thing when they are exposed to a real education, and learn to sink or swim on their own merits. When your coaches and academic advisors disproportionately push you into a sham major to keep you eligible, there’s quite a bit of pressure to go along. And the vast majority of these pushed kids (especially given that the sham vehicle was AFAM) are black. Racist because they are assuming that black kids can’t learn, and racist in that they aren’t pushing at-risk kids to take advantage of a real educational opportunity.
It also devalues African/African American studies as a meaningful topic of study, which it most certainly can be (and is at places like UVA). Making AFAM into a punchline is racist in effect.
Of course, some white athletes were part of this sham system, too. But that doesn’t mean there was no racism involved (anymore than the fact that some non-athletes took classes made it “not an athletics issue” like the Holes claimed). It was a cynical use of black people and black issues as chattel for their own selfish interests. And deserves to be called out as such.
