#University of Michigan-Dearborn apologizes for segregated virtual ‘cafes’

The University of Michigan-Dearborn is apologizing for hosting segregated online student “cafes” intended to spark discussions about race, saying they were never meant to be exclusionary.

University officials issued a mea culpa in a statement Wednesday, one day after the two separate virtual events were held via Zoom for “Black, Indigenous and People of Color” and another for “Non-POC” students.

“UM-Dearborn sincerely regrets the terms used to describe the ‘cafe’ events held on September 8,” the statement said. “The terms used to describe these virtual events and the descriptions themselves were not clear and not reflective of the university’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

The virtual spaces were designed to let students talk about current events and “share their experiences related to race,” as well as to discuss potential solutions, university officials said.

The aim was to provide students from “marginalized communities” a chance to “exist freely without having to normalize their lives,” while providing non-POC students an opportunity to educate themselves without relying on students of color, the university said.

“To ensure that these spaces were kept safe and respectful, the ‘cafes’ had a faculty/staff member as a facilitator,” the statement said, adding that both were open to all students. “The events were never intended to be exclusive or exclusionary for individuals of a certain race.”

The term “cafe” also caused considerable confusion online, as people thought the university was building two physical spaces to serve students, Vice-Chancellor Ken Kettenbeil told the Detroit Free Press.

The sessions were one-time events, although Kettenbeil expects the dialogue to continue, albeit with different language moving forward, he said.

Abed Ayoub, legal and policy director of the American Anti-Discrimination Committee, said he got the intention behind the cafes, but accused university officials of being “very lazy” in a tweet early Wednesday.

“It could have been done better, obviously,” Ayoub, a UM-Dearborn alum, later told the Associated Press, adding he felt white students should hear about experiences pertaining to race from students of color. “It seemed that opportunity was missed intentionally. We know this is a mistake but hope they move forward.”