A race-based training program used by federal agencies claims, among other things, that saying one is “colorblind” to race is itself racist.
The training is part of a newly revealed federal diversity program that greatly expands on previously critical race theory trainings within the federal government, the Washington Examiner reported. Part of the expansion comes in the form of opposing “microaggressions,” or words and actions by one person that unintentionally upset another. As the Examiner noted, training provided to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says that offering a black student a basketball is considered offensive.
“Not only are federal workers urged to consider what they say, but also how their comments are received. In one chart, a white male is shown saying he is ‘colorblind.’ The black woman shown beside, however, takes as an insult that the white is denying her ‘racial/cultural being,’” the Examiner reported. “And, it advised men, don’t interrupt a woman speaking because they hear, ‘Women’s ideas are not valued.’”
The training documents were first obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the conservative Judicial Watch, which reported:
A slide titled “Microaggressions” defines microaggressions as “verbal and nonverbal behaviors” that “communicate negative, hostile, and derogatory messages to people rooted in their marginalized group membership (based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, etc.)” The slide further notes that microaggressions can be “intentional or unintentional,” and are “more subtle” than “using racial epithets or displaying swastikas.”
Other slides discussing “Stereotypes lead to microaggressions,” begin with a warning to the viewer: “Trigger warning: the next slide contains images of offensive stereotypes.”
Cartoons are used to depict “offensive stereotypes,” which include people of color being offered various items such as: someone wearing a hoody and gold chain being offered sports balls; a hijab-wearing girl being offered a lit bomb and a picture of Osama bin Laden; a girl being offered a maid’s apron and a sombrero; a male being offered a guitar and a construction hat; a girl being handed a bottle of Aunt Jemimah syrup; and a girl being handed a spear, a teepee, and a Cleveland Indians baseball pennant.
Judicial Watch also noted that another “microaggression” slide shows a white male saying “All lives matter,” with a woman in a hijab depicted next to him and perceiving the statement as, “Ignoring systemic racism, such as in police interactions.”
Another side-by-side comparison showed a woman wearing a pink protest hat saying, “As a woman, I know what you go through as a racial minority.” The woman in the hijab interprets this as “Your racial oppression is no different than my gender oppression.”
The slides also include a list of questions and statements deemed to be “Examples of racial microaggressions”:
“Where are you from?”
“Where were you born?”
Asking an Asian American or Latino American to teach them words in their native
language.
“You are so articulate.”
“Everyone can succeed in this society, if they work hard enough.”
Person of color is mistaken for a service worker.
College or university with buildings that are all named after ‘White’ [sic] heterosexual upper class males.
Overabundance of liquor stores in communities of color.
A section featuring “Examples of sex based microaggressions – aimed at females,” includes:
“Have you been working out? You look good!!”
“You have a doctorate?”
Male colleagues interrupt women at meetings.