Episode 16 - A Spirited Discussion About Anti-Racism with Dr. Erec Smith

In this episode, we dive into a discussion of anti-racism with Dr. Erec Smith. Dr. Smith is a Professor of English Language, Literacy and Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. He is the author of several books, is a Writing Fellow for Heterodox Academy, and is a co-founder of Free Black Thought. Dr. Smith is an ardent critic of certain ideas relevant to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and anti-racism that have gained popularity and attention in liberal institutions. We have some spirited exchanges about infantilization and mental health, internalized prejudice, and what effective DEI could look like. Dr. Smith also shared some compelling personal stories about his experiences speaking up against some of the more wacky ideas in his field. Following this conversation, Manny and Dylan debrief and reflect on some of the things we agreed and disagreed about.

• Erec Smith @ York College
• A Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwzpHTdUVuM
• https://www.uraction.org/
• https://twitter.com/Rhetors_of_York
• Works that Dr. Smith mentioned (with push back): Violence in the Work of Composition
• Self-presentation in interracial settings: The competence downshift by White liberals.
• Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay