I don’t often talk about my issues with my alma mater anymore, but today I need to. Tomorrow, Penn is going to condemn a professor/TA for using an academic teaching technique to even out disparities in the classroom for students of color. (Things like purposely calling on black students more to compensate for unconscious biases, it’s called progressive stacking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_stack )
Since they (McKellop uses they/them pronouns) tweeted about this practice, they have been doxxed (personal information stalked and released) by Neo-Nazis and far-righters. Stephanie brought this evidence to their department, and instead supporting their efforts to support marginalized students, Penn plans to condemn them and their teaching publicly because apparently they are scared of being “racist to white people”.
I am ENRAGED that my university would allow itself to be pressured by dogpiling white supremacists on the internet to do ANYTHING, let alone something THIS EXTREME.
This school has the fucking BARE minimum of good teaching practices in their faculty, something I suffered from personally, and when one professor attempts to be a better TEACHER, they not only don’t support them, they are CONDEMNING them.
At this moment, I am ASHAMED to be a Penn alum, and my education is now cheapened by my alma mater’s choice to bow to the will of supremacist bullies.
I encourage all alums (and allies) to share this post and this story. And to call Penn out publicly on social media, support Stephanie McKellop’s work, and to email the department and the school in protest. (Here is a pastebin email template and who to contact if you’d like to lend your voice. In the words of the OP: “I encourage everyone to write whether or not they feel qualified - the Nazis already did.”).
Penn never shuts the fuck up about diversity but when a professor tries to ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT they PUBLICLY CONDEMN THEM. As an alum I am ashamed, as an aware citizen I’m not surprised, as a former progressive political leader on campus I am discouraged.
No wonder this is Donald Trump’s alma mater. I guess it’s finally living up to SOME legacy. Just not the right one.
