#Roommates, there’s a new counseling group at the University of Maryland that’s being dubbed a safe space for white students. According to the campus newspaper, “White Awake” aims to give white students an opportunity to “explore their experiences, questions, reactions, and feelings.”
“Do you want to improve your ability to relate and connect with people different from yourself?” the group’s flyer asked. “Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable and confused before, during, or after interactions with racial minorities?”
The school’s psychology department said they created the group to help students “learn how they can fit in a diverse world,” however everyone wasn’t feeling the name or mission. After a few students went online to express their concerns, the school’s Counseling Center agreed to consider changing the group’s name and rewording the flyer.
“We agree with the feedback that the flyer was not clear enough in conveying the fact that the purpose of this group is to promote anti-racism and becoming a better ally,” the Counseling Center said in a statement. “This is an incredibly difficult, nuanced issue, and that’s the reason we need to discuss it.”
Thoughts, Roommates? Are y’all here for “White Awake”?
