Episode 301: Diversity Workshops and Sensitivity Training

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the history of diversity workshops and sensitivity training.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: 

• As conservative attacks on a supposed takeover of American institutions by proponents of critical race theory escalate, many on the political left have begun to articulate distinctions between “trainings” and education that deal with race. Natalia recommended this Inside Higher Education piece by historians Jeffrey A. Snyder and Amna Khalid and this blog post about the history of executive coaching.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia discussed Amelia Nierenberg’s New York Times article, “Should California De-Track Math?”
• Neil shared his Twitter thread about Dennis Prager’s comments about the history of gay men and HIV-AIDS.
• Niki recommended L.D. Burnett’s Medium post, “The ‘University of Austin’ Grift Isn’t New,” and Daniel Drezner’s Washington Post article, “What Is The University of Austin’s Purpose?”