A UNIVERSITY union has claimed anyone should be allowed to identify as black regardless of their skin colour or background.
The stance was revealed in a report from The Universities and Colleges Union, centered around the ongoing debate about whether men should be able to self-identify as women, after they faced criticism over their labelling of transgender people.
The body, which represents 120,000 academics, said in their statement that they agree with self identification of gender, but also race.
The union said: “Our rules commit us to ending all forms of discrimination, bigotry and stereotyping. UCU has a long history of enabling members to self-identify whether that is being black, disabled, LGBT+ or women.”
They added: ‘UCU also supports a social, rather than medical, model of gender recognition that will help challenge repressive gender stereotypes in the workplace and in society.’
Many criticised the union’s position on race, including union member and Sussex University philosophy professor Kathleen Stock, who said the union’s position on race was “nonsensical, anti-intellectual propaganda.”
Stock added: “It’s fairly simple: being a woman, being black, and being disabled are each causal factors in distinctive patterns of mistreatment & discrimination. Does @ucu think academics should be allowed to use distinctive names & non-subjective categories for those causal factors, or not?”
Another commentator said the statement was “racist and stupid.”
CONTROVERSY
In the US, Rachel Dolezal self-identified as a black woman but was exposed as a white woman during a TV interview, sparking a worldwide debate.
She quit her post as an official at the National Association for the Advancement of coloured People in 2015, after her parents confirmed she was not black.
In the UK, white theatre director Anthony Lennon faced criticism for identifying as an “African born again” and securing public funding intended to help develop the careers of those from underrepresented communities.
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41 Comments
If everything can be X, nothing is X.
black is the first color on the color chart all people come from black people!
IDK, IMO, IJS
B.S. What is the University really trying to say? Anybody that is White can claim to be Black ,if they want to? ?
? B.S. exactly so! Loving your response, made me chuckle so.
I disagree
Rachel Dolezal should have been left alone she did not take anything that I can see from anyone, she sought to help and I hope she is doing well despite the media hype. Grace and Peace ✌?
She could have help a lot more ppl as her authentic self
☝️☝️☝️☝️
This
Right
Here
Who are YOU to determine what her Authentic self is. Sorry if you can identify as a coffee table… which biology says your not then someone can identify as what ever race they want and saying just black well that’s racist.
Yeah many Whites have for years identified themselves as the offspring of Ancient Egyptians SMH
As he should have if he wanted to collect those funds and let people know that he was of another race but still wanted to reach out in that manner people would still help. So the fact that he tried to create some type of identity just to be able to help people is not genuine help. It makes him look guilty of having other real interest.
I thought the human race consists of man and mankind.The color code system still exists and the university scholars should teach the students its status not skin color
Then, if you want to identify as Black, also accept the discrimination in housing, accept the killings and beatings from cops, accept having the cops called on you for simply living, accept the discrimination in education, workplace and let’s not forget the discrimination of you wanting to wear your natural hair. Accept being followed in stores or not being able to rent an apartment…the list goes on. You want to identify as Black, come now into our world and let the games began. Only for us it is not a game. This is our LIFE you privileged, souless jerks!!!
mic drop
In the reverse anybody should be able to identify as a white male and gain the priveleges
Ahaha yea right. They’d come up with some excuse
The UCU is off it’s rocker. A white person can’t claim to be black anymore than a black persons can claim to be white. Gender identity is a completely different matter.
If people maintain that everyone descended from Africa, then essentially everyone is of African descent.
All Africans are not black.
Ok, since anyone “should be allowed to identify as black, regardless of their skin colour’ Can white males identify as “black women”????
Welll i guess a dog is a cat now
This world has become so ignorant.
Just like the transgender debacle, you can claim to be a woman, but if you don’t have a vagina, you will NEVER be a woman. Like Rachel Dolezal, she may feel like she’s a black woman but short of having black parents, or even half black parents, she could not claim to be black. No one white has ever had the experience of being discriminated against because of skin color. In fact, this entire issue of claiming blackness is only designed to falsify information on paper in order to achieve benefits designed to equal the racist playing field. Give it a rest.
How about accepting people as they are and practice real equality and equity. This will not solve the problem it will only make it worse because of its stupidity.
Talk about the proverbial land grab, except in this case it is racial “identity.” So, White people could claim “Black” if they so choose to? Well, they’d be getting the privileges of being “White” and the accommodations made for “Blacks.” Sounds about White and greedy to me
They can, but when something comes up that is negatively pointed at black people, let’s see if they still want to be on our side if they’re not really black. This woman is not the best person to use as an example of who isn’t black should be allowed to recognize herself as black. She actually thinks she’s more black minded than someone who was born black.
Race, creed, color, sex and even disability are and can be identified by natural characteristic! Blood, DNA and scientific con conclusions should remaining factors! Just as a Birth certificate, some documentation can be altered by way of AMENDMENT…but you are who you born as! IJS!??☻?????
I love this woman. She’s more black than the 95% of black women I know
She not AND NO THEY CANT SAY THEY BLACK IF THEY NOT
Just be a decent human being
No…. white people have NOT been discriminated against because of their skin color… but Yes I’m white and I most certainly have been discriminated against because I had a black husband and 3 mixed children…. everybody’s stories are different and I just wanted to put this out there
The law says if you have one eighth black blood in you you are black. Are they going to change that?
How?
Damn. That is the craziest thing I ever heard. Can I identify as Asian? Because my eyes are almond shaped. Or 30 because Im spunky? Gtfoh! It is ridiculous. I am African American woman. I identify with who and what I am! Stop hating yourself! I love me!
With the ongoing debate amongst American presidential candidates about reparations, all of which come out tax payers pockets, it appears that anyone and everyone can get paid.
Absolutely stupid on more levels than I can count.
That’s offensive and belittling to Black people.
NEWS FLASH: This may come as somewhat of a surprise to a lot of people, but nobody is black or white. It’s was introduced into the American English language in a law to show a difference between slaves and indentured servants.
I think this article should correct the section that mentioned Anthony Lennon. He was born to parents who said they were white, but both he and his brother looked mixed when they were born. He did genetic testing which showed 32% heritage from west Africa. One of his parents or grand parents was most likely passing as white, and didn’t say anything.
Lennon’s situation isn’t the same as Dolezal. She was and is a white woman with no black heritage. She’s essentially doing black face.
Exactly.
There are no legitimate reasons or a white person to be designated for black.it is not okay. ridiculous. Only if they could share our abuse and unfair circumstances.
I agree. If they be for us, who can be against us. Remember, All Creations began on ONE CONTINENT before the flood, and that Continent was and still is, AFRICA!!! That African Blood is in the GENES of all mankind. But many do not want to accept that Truth. Give credit to those that do accept and are PROUD to be of our African Descent, because we have Brothers and Sisters of Color who are out in the world trying to portray themselves as White. Think about it. Use some Wisdom and Discernment. ????