University of Lisbon Pauses Implementation of Racism Course Featuring Exclusively White Instructors

A prestigious university in Lisbon has put a halt on plans for an advanced course focused on racism and xenophobia after the initiative faced criticism over its instructor lineup exclusively comprising white academics. The program, developed jointly between the faculty of law at Nova University and the government-endorsed Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia, also drew scrutiny for certain content choices like a session titled: “Does racism truly exist?”

The outcry reached Paula Cardoso, an advocate who established Afrolink—a digital platform aiming to empower Black professionals in Portugal. She voiced her disapproval on the issue by detailing it on their website stating that "It’s absurd for a 'postgraduate course about racism and xenophobia' solely led by white individuals, without any non-white educator involved.”

She argued this could potentially foster uncertainty instead of promoting understanding regarding the issue. She highlighted content such as questioning if racial discrimination still occurs—despite its inclusion in their advertisement for the course which seemed to insinuate it's a disputable concept: "We seemingly have to justify and affirm that racism is real, with profound consequences on those from marginalized communities."

Furthermore, Afrolink found this predicament bewildering—especially when the Observatory also lacked diversity in its leadership. The platform conveyed it was akin to an entity advocating against gender discrimination without including women: “It’s like setting up such institution but with only male representatives.”

Cardoso suggested these problems might reflect deeper systemic issues that extend beyond this specific course, given the government-back Observatory's leadership shortage in diversity. She questioned how one can tolerate an organization meant to eradicate discrimination while possibly unwittingly perpetuating it: "How could we endorse such a situation where instead of dismantling inequality and racism, the observatory might unintentionally encourage these practices?"

Despite Afrolink's outreach addressing their concerns some days prior to any official communication from Observatory—a fact Cardoso found disappointingly non-existent. She felt this called for immediate action: “This situation demands urgent measures, ensuring that the voices of those affected are at the center of these critical discussions.”

The university’s dean responded to inquiries on behalf of Nova School of Law—Margarida Lima Rego. She explained efforts were made for instructor recruitment from diverse background but said they faced a challenge: "Our endeavors fell short when the course was ready, no one else being available.”

She admitted this as an internal failure and stated that Nova School of Law is already implementing steps to avoid similar instances in future. She emphasized faculty's intention not to belittle issues significant for society nor discriminate against individuals: “The Faculty along with the Observatory, were deeply invested into addressing these pertinent societal matters."