Not, perhaps, my most successful presentation: and WHAT did you just say?

Oct 11, 2014 12:46


Even without the Powerpoint locking up. But really, 10 minutes for subject on which I can expatiate at length (or, as some would say, bore for Europe), is hardly long enough to say ORL MOAR COMPLIK8D, really.
I'm also not entirely persuaded that the series of presentations had much to offer to the event as a whole, which was about the fact that Institution In Question still celebrates (in names of buildings, lecture theatres, etc) certain individuals whose views were distinctly not in tune with the modern multicultural Institution of Highah Learninz. This was what the audience wanted to talk about.
It is possibly something that people don't entirely immediately realise, because the individuals in question are not perhaps Names with immediate recognition except within the specific disciplines to which they did make some contribution.
During after-event drinks, was dumbfounded by a person (white person accompanied by BME person who appeared to be their partner), who, after one of the organisers (BME) who had been chatting to them moved away, turned around and said '[They]'re educated and middle-class: I wonder [sceptical tone] how much racism they've actually experienced'. Quite apart from 'educated and middle-class' being an achieved status and not necessarily where someone came from: WHAT. WHAT. Where do you begin, especially in a noisy room with a complete stranger who thinks this is an appropriate thing to say to another complete stranger. Who would probably dismiss anything one did say as being self-righteously 'politically correct'.
At that point we were all urged to leave before the building closed. This entry was originally posted at http://oursin.dreamwidth.org/2164835.html. Please comment there using OpenID. View
comments.

inappropriate, education, etiquette, boggled, racism, ethics, class, prejudice

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