A teachable moment on racism

Recently, Steve Sviggum, vice chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, asked whether it was possible that the decline in enrollment at the Morris campus of the university was due to the number of students of color attending: "Is it possible that at Morris we've become too diverse?"

Sviggum was inquiring because he received letters "from friends whose children are not going to go to Morris because it is too diverse. … They just didn't feel comfortable there."

Regent Sviggum defended himself saying, "I don't see asking a question as being offensive or wrong, and certainly, certainly not racist." Not racist, presumably because he doesn't see himself as a modern-day Bull Connor or someone trying to intentionally hurt people of color.

The student body on the U's Morris campus is 54% white. Regent Sviggum's friends "didn't feel comfortable" because there are almost as many students of color as there are white students. Instead of blaming the presence of the students of color, the cause of that discomfort should more appropriately be seen as a problem of racism among his friends.

He doesn't grasp what students of color feel — most of whom have never attended a school in which they and fellow students of the same race were in the majority. Might not they have discomfort that far exceeds that of the white students Sviggum is concerned about?

The biggest harm of Regent Sviggum's comments is the message it sends to minority students — that they are unwanted. A U regent questions whether there are too many of them.

After receiving significant criticism for his statement, he "unequivocally" apologized for his questions and "especially for the unintended hurt my questions may have caused."

Former Minnesota House Speaker Sviggum came from a predominantly white community and has spent his life and career surrounded by predominantly white neighbors, co-workers and legislative colleagues. From this, he appears to have a bias that white people are the norm, the typical ones, and the mere presence of students of other races interferes with the comfort of those typical students.

The feelings of minority students — virtually always surrounded by predominantly white classmates — apparently doesn't even cross Regent Sviggum's mind.

Perhaps he should ponder which campus of the university students of color might feel comfortable attending.

If we are to cater to the wishes of those who are uncomfortable being surrounded by too many people of other races, it would require a return to segregated schools, segregated housing and segregated communities for them to feel "comfortable."

That mind-set is racist. It might not, initially, be based on hate, but the fear and distrust it creates leads to hate and the vilest form of racism.

Unfortunately, shortly after his "unequivocal apology" Sviggum told a right-wing news blog that "the woke community … jumped on [his statement]. They say it's racist and sexist." In doing so, it is clear his apology was less than unequivocal. He sees the problem merely as criticism from the "woke" community, presumably, people who are awake enough to understand what people of color go through in life.

But blaming others for his lack of understanding shows that he still has much to learn from this teachable moment.

Regardless of his intent, Regent Sviggum needs to understand that his statement came from implicit racism. It is hurtful to students and harmful to the U's important efforts to diversify. Although nobody can force him to resign, I urge him to do so. His resignation would best serve the university that he took an oath to support.