Recently, several students at NC State have reported seeing “It’s Okay To Be White” flyers posted around campus. These flyers have been spotted at other college campuses across the United States. Some students have found these posters controversial and offensive, but for reasons that evidently are not clear to everyone.
On the surface, these posters try to preach that white students should not feel ashamed of their race. While is true that students should not be ashamed or discriminated because of their race, that is not the true meaning behind these flyers.
These flyers were intended for Neo-Nazis to indoctrinate people into their hateful ideology. The message “It’s okay to be white” originated from an alt-right forum on 4chan. The creators of this message wanted to create a public outcry and accuse the media of spreading “anti-white” sentiments. The creators of this message thought that these flyers would cause people who feel disenfranchised in this “politically correct” culture to distrust the media, which will allow the alt-right to recruit people into their hateful ideology.
While they claim to be preaching racial acceptance, these flyers only seek to divide students. Although NC State can’t ban these posters around campus, students should disregard these posters, since they try to promote alt-right propaganda and are against NC State’s values.
One of the great things about college is that students are exposed to people who come from different backgrounds. As more minorities are enrolled each year, students will need to be more accepting of people who come from different backgrounds. However, these flyers will make some students feel unwelcome, which is unacceptable at NC State.
One reason why these posters don’t belong at NC State is that they instill a sense of discrimination in some students, which can negatively impact their mental health. There have been studies showing that students who have repeatedly experienced some form of racism or discrimination are prone to developing mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. These mental health issues can hinder a student’s academics and negatively impact their experience at college.
The racist origins of these flyers have clear, negative impacts on the academics and college experience of students of color. These discriminatory ideas are not consistent with our university’s values and attempt to disrupt our community; therefore, we must ignore their inflammatory message.
Furthermore, these posters can prevent students from engaging in civil discussions about social issues. The purpose of these flyers is to accuse the media and various liberal groups of being “anti-white,” thus stirring racial tension to bring others to their cause. NC State encourages people to engage with others who may have different beliefs. However, by falsely labeling those groups of people as racist, these flyers make it more difficult for students to discuss controversial topics.
Finally, race is a social construct. There are no major biological differences between two people of different races. The concept of race was specifically created to divide people by the color of their skin. The Neo-Nazis who created this message want to establish superiority over groups of people based on arbitrary characteristics, such as the color of their skin. Their hateful ideology does not belong on NC State’s campus.
Overall, the “It’s okay to be white” flyers do not preach that students should accept their heritage. Instead, they are a tool developed by the alt-right movement online to help spread their hateful ideology. These flyers try to create a sense of discrimination in some students, prevent people from engaging in civil discussions and try to divide others based on some arbitrary characteristics. For the sake of preserving our community’s values, students should disregard these flyers and their hateful message.
