A new controversial course being offered at Florida Gulf Coast University is the topic of discussion for many on and off campus.
The university held an open forum event Thursday night titled “Race, Immigration and White Supremacy in the Post-Obama era,” and the course, "White Racism," was a hot topic.
Sociology professor Dr. Ted Thornhill will be teaching the course.
"We will discuss ways to challenge and disrupt white racism and supremacy in the service of engendering an anti-racist society in which whiteness is not tied to greated life chances," Thornhill said in a statement.
Thornhill says the course is not anti-white, but anti-white racism. The course is designed to offer students a deeper understanding of race, white racism, racial inequality, and white supremacy.
The class was created after a racially-motivated incident on campus last fall, in which a stick figure hanging from tree, along with a racial slur, was drawn on a classroom white board. The "disturbing occurrence" sparked tension on campus, followed by a demonstration with students and faculty.
"Too many Americans, especially whites, are cocooned in a 'bubble of unreality' as it concerns racial matters," Thornhill said.
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The course has already reached maximum enrollment and will be offered in the Spring semester.
