The University of California has condemned the use of "micro-aggressions," words or phrases that might unintentionally cause offense or leave some people feel discriminated against, according to Bloomberg.
The training module mentions that phrases such as "America is the land of opportunity" and "America is a melting pot" can be construed by minority groups as "denying the significance of a person of color's racial/ethnic experience and history," or put unacceptable social pressure on minorities to assimilate into the dominant culture.
"Given the diverse backgrounds of our students, faculty and staff, UC offered these seminars to make people aware of how their words or actions may be interpreted when used in certain contexts. Deans and department heads were invited, but not required, to attend the seminars," said University of California Office of the President spokeswoman Shelly Meron, Fox News reported.
She further added that the institution had not prohibited the use of the words when they were included in the training guide as examples of micro-aggressions and insisted that the UC system is "committed to upholding, encouraging and preserving academic freedom and the free flow of ideas," according to The Washington Post.
Perhaps ironically, the University of California, Berkeley was the birthplace of the free speech movement, which took place in 1964.
