Dr. William Ming Liu presents his lecture titled “The Psychology and Epistemology of Every-day White Supremacy” on Wednesday, Sept. 18 in the Shoemaker Building. His colleagues, as well as many students, attended his presentation.
By Casey Gannon
On Thursday, Sept. 18, Dr. William Ming Liu delivered a presentation titled “The Psychology and Epistemology of Every-day White Supremacy.” His presentation took place in the Shoemaker Building, which was open to all students and faculty.
Liu is a professor at this university and serves as chair of the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education. The event was well-attended, as the counseling department had to turn away attendees due to space shortage. Some students received class credit for attending the discussion, which focused on multiculturalism and diversity.
Liu explained the origins of white supremacy and racism to introduce his research.
“When we think about racism, it is an extension of white supremacy,” Liu said.
Liu began his studies in white supremacy at the University of Iowa. He was walking toward his office when he noticed that he unconsciously stepped aside for a group of white men to pass through.
He developed a habit of observing how others behave on the sidewalk from his office window. Liu noticed that most women would move aside if a white male passed by. Liu himself would experiment with the intention of not moving out of the way for all people passing him. He said he needed to be cautious, however, because there were times when he would receive a disgusted look from a person.
“I’m not going to get into a fight with an 18-year-old white man on his way to the gym,” Liu said.
Liu discussed how many of the problems that stem from white supremacy can be combated at a young age. If parents took the time to talk about race with their children, white supremacy would not be as prominent of an issue, he said.
“Only 10 percent of parents do talk to their kids about race,” Liu said. “But they talk about equality. They do not focus on non-racism.”
Sophomore government and politics major Emily Froman does not see white supremacy as an issue on campus. Froman said she was aware of White Awake, a group supervised by the counseling center, which was created as a safe space for white students to discuss race. It received some backlash from students when it was announced last year.
“If [minorities] have a safe space to talk, why shouldn’t white people?” Froman said.
Taylorann Vibert, a junior government and politics major, held a different opinion and said there are some issues with white supremacy at this university. She mentioned the religious group that protested at McKeldin Mall on Tuesday Sept.17 as an example. The group held signs that mocked women and minority groups, claiming that all are “sinners.” Students responded to the group with a counter-protest.
“The response from the students was overwhelming,” Vibert said. “And, it was all very peaceful.”
Vibert knew about the White Awake group formed last year, but said she reserved her judgments because she did not have enough information about the initiative.
While Vibert did not know much information about the group, she offered suggestions on how the group could help decrease instances of white supremacy on campus.
“I think [there should be] diversity in that program, they should broaden it to prejudice in general,” Vibert said. “And, have people interacting with people different from them, I think that may be a little more helpful.”