Federal officials lectured people in Ferguson about 'white privilege'


One day after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, officials from the Justice Department's Community Relations Service arrived in Ferguson. They were there to investigate potential civil rights violations, but the National Review reports that they also used this time to hold townhall-style meetings with residents and to question and educate them on subjects like white privilege and racism.
Audrey Watson, a community resident, said federal officials organized attendees into small groups and asked questions such as "What stereotypes exist in our community?" "How does white privilege impact race relations in our community?" and, "Is there a need for personal commitment to race relations?"
According to the National Review, Ferguson's mayor James Knowles III also attested that DOJ officials talked about "underlying racism that people may not perceive" and the issue of white privilege.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The meetings were designed to ease tension, a Justice Department spokeswoman told the National Review in an email, though she added that it's not the role of Community Relations Service officials to take a position on issues of race. However, Robert Driscoll, the DOJ Civil Rights Division's former chief of staff, said that what the DOJ did in Ferguson is not standard, and called the officials' conduct unfortunate. "Their function is supposed to be on the ground... and to talk to people and let them know what the processes are at the Department of Justice," he said.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
6 productivity-ready homes with great offices
Feature Featuring an office with a gas fireplace in Oregon and a shared workspace with wraparound windows in Massachusetts
-
How quarterly estimated tax payments work and when they are due
The Explainer Freelancers, small business owners and those with a side hustle may need to make more frequent tax payments
-
'Alligator Alcatraz will be a blight on the Everglades'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read