No Woke-ism to See Here, Move Along Now: UVa Update

by James A. Bacon

As Woke-ism deniers ramp up their obfuscations of the implementation of Woke social-justice ideology in Virginia’s schools and colleges, the evidence keeps pouring in. Yesterday, a source forwarded to me the following communication by Elyse Girard (She/They) at the University of Virginia regarding the hiring of a new Dean for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility at the University of library.

Let’s set aside the fact that the library has managed up to now to vigorously pursue its vision of diversity and equity without the necessity of adding an associate dean to its payroll. (See “How Not to Create a Diverse, Welcoming Workplace.) This job application openly advertises ideological criteria for the job. Applicants must have “a sophisticated understanding of anti-racism, intersectionality, and social justice.”

By “sophisticated understanding,” Girard is saying that the applicant must be well versed in the full range of leftist, social-justice thinking in which “anti-racism” means reverse racism, and “intersectionality” refers to an appreciation of the overlapping systems of oppression by race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.

UVa Library wants to “shift culture” and “manage change.” What a frightening goal for the curators of the storehouse of knowledge contained in the university’s library! How long before these librarians are giving George Orwell lessons on how to manage the memory hole?

Are librarians at every higher-ed institution equally woke? Is this example an aberration, or is it typical of what’s happening in university libraries across Virginia? Citizens need to know.