In response to recent racial injustice seen throughout the country, several students at Wake Forest created an online petition calling for curriculum change geared towards race, prejudice, and privilege. This petition has been circled around social media platforms and as of the time of the publication of this article, it has 735 signatures. This petition is to the Office of the Dean of the College, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Office of the President.
The students who published this petition believe it is necessary to educate Wake Forest students on race, prejudice, and privilege. The petitioners write, “In order to achieve this goal, we believe that the university should incorporate education on racial issues into the academic curriculum, develop online training modules on racial bias, and enhance the diversity education included in orientation material.”
Along with annual online training modules would include a bias test, a class on race, prejudice, and privilege that is a divisional requirement in order to graduate or have it implemented as a part of the first-year curriculum. The petition also calls for a revamping of educational material during freshman orientation on the subject.
The Wake Forest Review will update its readers on any new developments that arise.