yaf logo
yaf logo

The New Guard

California College Adopts Anti-Racist Screening of All Job Applicants, Calls for Safe Spaces

By

Julia Johnson

July 19, 2023

A public community college in California has embraced “anti-racism” and the Black Lives Matter organization, according to a tip received through Young America’s Foundation’s Campus Bias Tipline.

In several sweeping statements and initiatives, Palomar Community College in California has declared its goal of becoming an “anti-racist” institution and officially announced its plan to pre-screen all job applicants to ensure that they are “dedicated” to anti-racism.

In a post on their website, Palomar states, “The administrators and classified staff have adopted a policy to require all interviews for admin and staff to require an antiracist question pre-interview to assess new applicants’ dedication to antiracism.” In other words, if you don’t subscribe to their woke, anti-racist ideology, you won’t get past the screening.

Palomar’s homepage even features a video titled, “Anti-Racism at Palomar” above a Black Lives Matter logo.

In the video, multiple educators discuss the need for “safe spaces” and “healing circles.”

Assistant Professor, Dr. Hossna Sadat Ahadi kicks off the video. She declared “If you are not an anti-racist, then you are complicit…,” adding that America “is a country that was founded on racism…”

Another assistant professor, Luis Guerrero, claimed that the microaggressions and barriers himself and other “BIPOC” faculty face are “hindering their growth and full potential at Palomar.”

Student Success and Engagement Manager Dr. Nancy Brown added that it’s their responsibility to “create safe spaces” on campus.

This ideology also finds its way into the classroom, according to an anonymous tipster. One student told YAF that their English 100 class with Professor Sonia Gutierrez was riddled with readings and assignments based on “toxic masculinity,” “feminism,” and “Critical Race Theory.”

Palomar also has a “progress dashboard” on their website where they measure how close they are to goals like hiring more black people, creating a black-only space, and having a black-only graduation, which appears to have been achieved.

A representative for Palomar College told YAF it did not endorse the Black Lives Matter organization, despite featuring the logos on their website in multiple places.

“As a publicly funded institution, Palomar College does not endorse other organizations,” the representative said.

“Palomar College is respectful and responsive to the diversity, equity and inclusion concerns of faculty and staff and through its antiracist framework, the College is working collaboratively with students, staff and faculty to address any concerns that may arise,” she said of the video featured prominently on the school’s homepage.

This might be an extreme example, but you’d be wrong to assume this isn’t the path many colleges and universities are currently headed down. The emphasis on skin color and race along with the pseudoscientific study of Critical Race Theory and gender theory will prove disastrous for our institutions of higher education. This is why it’s so important for YAF activists to call out this bias where they see it and not remain silent.

Related Resources

Article

March 15, 2024

The New Guard

YAF Backs Groundbreaking Bill to Safeguard Student Free Speech on Campus

Article

March 14, 2024

The New Guard

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS: Discover American Opportunity at YAF’s Middle School Expedition in Washington, D.C.

Article

March 13, 2024

The New Guard

‘Make Space For Trans Students,’ UIC Demands In Letter to School Community

Get Involved

Become a Member

Chapters

Events & Conferences

Host a Speaker

Campus Activism

Programs

Center for Entrepreneurship

National Journalism Center

Reagan Ranch

Reagan Boyhood Home

Campus Lectures & Activism

Defending Student Rights

Middle School Programs

News & Media

All Media

Articles

Videos

The New Guard

About

About Us

Staff Members

Our Boards

Careers

Financials

Get Involved

Become a Member

Chapters

Events & Conferences

Host a Speaker

Campus Activism

Programs

Center for Entrepreneurship

National Journalism Center

Reagan Ranch

Reagan Boyhood Home

Campus Lectures & Activism

Defending Student Rights

Middle School Programs

News & Issues

All Media

Articles

Videos

The New Guard

About

About Us

Staff Members

Our Boards

Careers

Financials