University sponsors campaign to undermine 'white privilege'... in one of the whitest cities in the U.S.



A university's campaign to undermine 'white privilege' in one of the whitest cities in America has sparked outrage, with hundreds complaining that it blames racism on whites and makes white people out to be stupid and naive.

The 'Un-Fair Campaign', which is sponsored by the University of Minnesota in Duluth, where 90 percent of people are white, asks if people feel enough guilt for the colour of their skin and poses the question: 'Is white skin really fair skin?'



'You give me better jobs, better pay, better treatment, and a better chance - all because of the color of my skin,' reads one poster from the 'Un-Fair Campaign', which wants to change the racial make-up of Duluth because figures suggest similar but more diverse cities across the Midwest are performing better economically.

The University of Minnesota Duluth is one of 15 partners in the 'Un-Fair' Campaign which wants white people to understand the concept of 'white privilege' and how that affects their perceptions of race

Eleven out of the 25 large cities with high white populations in America are in the north Midwestern region of the U.S. in states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota.

One of the least diverse cities in America, over two percent of Duluth's 86,265 people identified themselves as black in the 2010 census with similar percentages for Native American's and Asian people.

The campaign offers to teach the residents of Duluth the opportunity to 'learn anti-racist language and behavior' and to speak up when they see 'white privilege' in everyday life and not to tolerate it from others.

Designed to create an open racial dialogue within Duluth, the campaign wants to 'raise awareness about white privilege in our community...that result in fundamental, systemic change towards racial justice.'



Covered in marker which reads as a list of the benefits of being white, the 'Un-Fair Campaign' wants to promote Duluth as a diverse centre of commerce in the north Midwest of the U.S.

Encouraging white people in Duluth to speak up about racism and the many privileges white people receive, the 'Un-Fair Campaign' says that 'It is hard to see racism when we are white because the systems and institutions are set up to look like us and advantage us.'

Continuing, the campaign wants its mission to be 'Challenging the white monoculture' and feels that eliminating the 'privileges it creates for whites is a necessary step in eliminating racism.'



The anti-racism drive has posters of Caucasian men and women covered in 'Examples of White Privilege', such as 'I can come to my meeting late and not have my lateness attributed to race' and 'We're lucky we don't get stared at every time we walk into a room.'

Duluth is one of the least ethnically diverse cities in the United States with 90 percent of its population claiming to be white in the 2010 census

Opponents of the University's message such as Duluth resident Phil Pierson believe it is plain wrong.



'You can't open a discussion on race and hope to see it move in a positive direction when you raise the topic by stereotyping an entire race,' said Pierson to the Star Tribune.



'It spreads animosity and hate, teaches a new generation to point fingers and focuses on the color of our sking instead of the idea that we're all human.'



Indeed, the campaign which has cost more than $4000 since the beginning of they year has been questioned as to why it is asking a majority white city to readdress its attitude towards race.



'I don't like the way they were worded,' said Chuck Horton, who runs a boxing gym in Duluth about the billboards and posters.

One of the controversial posters that have divided opinion in Duluth with some believing that these pictures imply that white people are naive regarding racism

'They implied white people can't see racism, so we must be stupid.



'That was insulting to me.'



The 'Unfair Campaign' has responded to criticism by quoting economic figures which indicate that the city slightly underperforms against other cities with more diverse populations.



However, with its emphasis on introspection, structural racism for white privilege and tolerance workshops with names such as the 'White Privilege Conference', some feel the campaign is a waste of time.



The Mayor of Duluth, Don Ness has received death threats from all over the world for the billboards and posters, some that encourage him to 'Die, scum, die.'

The Mayor of Duluth, Don Ness has received death threats for his part in sponsoring the campaign along with 15 other Duluth institutions

'I became kind of a lighting rod for groups outside our community,' said Ness.



'It was disappointing to see the level of hate and ugliness.'



The 'Unfair Campaign' even goes as far as to state the landmarks of 'White Privilege' since 1600, which include the Human Genome Project which has a 'white preoccupation' with genetic difference, Hurricane Katrina and ends in 2009 with the inauguration of President Obama.

With a total of 15 sponsors, including the City of Duluth Mayor's Office, League of Women Voters and the Universities of Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin Superior, the campaign is devoting all its energies to 'Cracking the Shell of Whiteness'

'It's possible to never interact with a person of color here,' said Ellen O'Neill, executive director of the YWCA of Duluth, one of the campaign's 15 sponsors.