Michigan university sorry for hosting two 'cafes', one for students of color, one for white students

DETROIT - The University of Michigan-Dearborn came under fire on social media Tuesday after posting a promotion for two "cafes," one for students of color and the other for white students.

The two virtual "cafes," scheduled to occur at the same time Tuesday via Zoom, were billed as spaces for students to discuss their experiences both on campus and in their daily lives. One was intended for "Black, Indigenous and People of Color" and the other for "Non-POC (People of Color)."

The initiative has since received criticism for being divisive and for making it seem as though white students are oppressed in some manner, thereby necessitating a safe space for them to discuss their experiences.

The university has since issued a statement apologizing for the wording of the posts, specifically using the word "cafe," which did not accurately depict the university's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The use of "cafe" was the cause of much confusion as people online thought the university was building two separate, physical cafes to serve students, said Vice-Chancellor Ken Kettenbeil Wednesday to the Free Press. Tuesday's sessions were one-time events, but Kettenbeil "anticipates the dialogue will continue."

The statement reads, in part: "University of Michigan-Dearborn is committed to fostering and maintaining an inclusive campus environment and encourages ongoing dialogue amongst our students, faculty and staff on challenging issues. As campus activities continue to operate in a predominantly remote capacity due to COVID-19, our Center for Social Justice and Inclusion has looked to develop virtual spaces that allow for these important conversations to continue."

The virtual "cafes" were created to allow students the opportunity to process current events and share their experiences related to race and to "provide students from marginalized communities a space that allowed for them to exist freely without having to normalize their lives and experiences, while also providing students that do not identify as persons of color the opportunity to deepen their understanding of race and racism without harming or relying on students of color to educate them," according to the statement.

The statement goes on to say the events were open to all campus community members and were not meant to be exclusionary, and faculty/staff members facilitated the conversation to ensure a safe space.

Kettenbeil said similar programming will continue, with the university using different language in its next round of promotion.

Follow Miriam Marini on Twitter: @mmarini36

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: University of Michigan-Dearborn apologizes for race-based 'cafes'