Archive for the ‘Social Justice Warrior’ Category

According to Ashley Fairbanks’ bio, Ms. Fairbanks is a progressive with an education from the University of Minnesota, where Ms. Fairbanks studied “American Indian studies and Political Science.” The reason I mention this is because Ms. Fairbanks wrote this article, which was heavy on the guilt trip and short on tolerance.

Early in Ms. Fairbanks’ article, she wrote “People learn the real history, the important stuff, from books. People learn from knowing people different than themselves. Lessons you must have missed.” According to her bio, Ms. Fairbanks “is an Anishinaabe woman and citizen of the White Earth Nation. She operates as a socially-conscious designer and public artist. She works with a cohort of artists that do racial justice popular education and organizing. She seeks to use her design skills to activate people around issues ranging from police brutality to environmental justice. She has worked with the Energy Action Coalition, Indigenous Environmental Network and Honor the Earth to create campaigns around the KXL and Sandpiper pipelines and protecting our water from mining.”

Based on that information, it’s difficult picturing Ms. Fairbanks interacting with people different than herself. This information makes it even more difficult to believe that she interacts with anyone who isn’t a hardline progressive and environmental activist:

Ashley sits on the board of Voices for Racial Justice. She went to the University of Minnesota to study American Indian studies and Political Science, and has completed Intermedia Arts Creative Community Leadership Institute, NACDI’s Native Organizing and Leadership Institute, The Humphrey School’s Roy Wilkins Community Policy Fellowship and is a 2016 Forecast Public Art Emerging Public Artist Grantee.

That’s the resume of a SJW. This paragraph encapsulates Ms. Fairbanks’ thinking:

We often forget that the history that we are teaching students shapes their entire worldview, not just their ideas on history. When we are taught white history, white science, white literature, and people of color and indigenous people get one week in our designated month, we are teaching white supremacy.

I’d love to hear Ms. Fairbanks’ definition of what white science is. I think I understand what white literature and white history are but science is science. I don’t doubt that white literature is different than the literature written from a black person’s perspective. I’m certain, however, that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west whether you’re black, brown, yellow or white. I’m equally certain that gravity works by the same principles for people of all races.

Understanding those things makes me think that Ms. Fairbanks’ opinions are either jaded or incorrect or both. I won’t automatically reject everything she’s said but I’ll maintain a healthy skepticism.

Technorati: Ashley Fairbanks, Social Justice Warrior, Environmental Activist, History, DFL