MARSHALL, Minn. – The Minnesota public college professors’ union proclaimed that academic freedom is at risk from a right-wing movement that seeks to deny race as a defining factor in U.S. history and a continuing reality. The movement has sought to ban teaching about race, focusing mostly on local public schools. In a formal statement, the president of the college-0level Inter-Faculty Organization, Brent Jeffers, said the research is clear that a race-conscious curriculum does not divide communities or inhibit academic outcomes. The impact of a race-conscious environment, Jeffers said, is the opposite. “Teaching students the truth, that racism is systemic, structured into the fabric of our society and culture, improves cross-racial attitudes and relationships,” he said. He defended faculty who share their observations and ongoing experiences with race. The IFO, he said, unequivocally supports academic freedom, including critical race theory, and the implementation of an ethnic studies graduation requirement for all MinnState students. “We believe the outcome of higher education should be to provide students the critical thinking skills that prepare them to be conscious leaders and citizens who recognize the value of diversity and equity, and who embrace the fundamental rights of everyone, regardless of their background,” he said.
Jeffers. IFO president since 2018. Football coach at Southwest Minnesota State.
IFO profile
The IFO is the collective bargaining agent at all MinnState system colleges, including Winona State.
Critical Race Theory
The theory was conceived by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw. The theory purports what most people know intuitively – that institutionalized racism in the United States has perpetuated a racial caste system that relegates people of color to the bottom tiers. The theory also recognizes that race intersects with other identities, including sexuality and gender identity. The theory recognizes that racism continues to be pervasive in the United States. The theory has been miscast in right-wing U.S. politics in the 2020s and demonized with fuzzy logic and pollyannish perspectives that seek to sanitize U.S. history.
Crenshaw. An American lawyer, civil rights advocate, and philosopher. Her academic homes are the UCLA and Columbia law schools.