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MFA bans members as racists unable to control themselves in the presence of minority seventh graders
By adamg on Fri, 05/24/2019 - 6:44pm
The Museum of Fine Arts reports it's revoked the membership of two patrons it has identified as treating minority students on a field trip from a Dorchester school like crap and has told them to stay away:
The MFA has determined that Museum visitors made racist comments to [Davis Leadership Academy] students on two separate occasions. We have identified the patrons who made the disparaging remarks and revoked their membership, banning them from the Museum’s grounds. We will serve them with a no-trespass cease-and-desist notification.
The museum continued that a review of the incidents the day of the school's field trip showed that a staffer warned students against bringing "water bottles," not "watermelon" on their walk, but added:
The students visited a number of galleries and special exhibitions during their trip. These spaces were patrolled by 13 separate security guards who were all stationed in designated areas. During this time, guards went on and off break and occasionally overlapped as they moved from one area or another. Based on surveillance footage, it is understandable that, because of this movement, the students felt followed. That was not our intention. It is unacceptable that they felt racially profiled, targeted and harassed. In response, the MFA is taking a number of steps to adapt security procedures—specifically designed to make sure that all people feel welcome, safe and respected at the Museum. This includes additional training for guards in how they engage with visitors inside and outside the Museum, as well as reviewing how guards are instructed to patrol the galleries.
The museum said it is consulting with outside experts on "continued mandatory unconscious bias training, conflict resolution training, and sexual harassment training for all staff" and:
[T]he Museum is reviewing all visitor touchpoints to ensure that every visitor’s experience from entry to exit is positive and welcoming. Internally, the Museum was already in the process of launching an independent employee engagement survey to solicit confidential feedback about our workplace. Externally, the MFA will continue to develop roundtables of outside groups, which have been gathered in recent months to advise on exhibitions and programming.
MFA staff will dedicate itself to this work over the coming, weeks, months and years, knowing that there will always be room to improve protocols and procedures to better reflect the Museum’s institutional values of inclusion, care and shared accountability.
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Comments
Unconscious bias training?
It sounds very Orwellian.
You lead a sheltered life?
It's a thing.
No I dont lead a sheltered life
I was commenting on the term unconscious bias training sounding very Orwellian, you know because its unconscious yet they will train you not to do it.
I'm sure I must be the only one on the planet to make that observation which is why you asked me if I live a sheltered life.
That is an example of unconscious bias against shut ins by the way, make an appointment with the Unconscious bias trainer.
How is
being made aware of something you do that may be wrongly received Orwellian?
Isn't that something you'd wanna know?
Stop being so paranoid, it's not brainwashing. It's just teaching people how to not be dicks.
Wrongly recieved?
How do you alter how something is received?
You control
You control your transmissions. If you know that your behavior -- however innocent -- is perceived badly, you can change your behavior. If you know how it's perceived, but choose not to change it, it stops being innocent.
Nope.
Almost every behavior will be perceived as offensive by someone. Especially if that someone is primed to take offense.
See below. I got called all sorts of names for using the word "ethnics." I would have gotten the exact same flack had I used the preferred PC proscriptions "people of color" instead. That's because the SJWs are offended at the idea being expressed, not at the fact that it was expressed with a very healthy helping of sarcasm.
But it's still a valid thought, even if it gives offense: everyone cannot condition their behavior on the sensitivities of the most fragile member of the group. Nothing would get done. If simply viewing the Kimono exhibit is an act of racism according to at least one person, then what isn't an act of racism?
Don't worry. I know the answer. Eeka has been kind to inform me that for folks like me who look white and pass for white a d for all intents and purposes are white, drawing breath is an act of racism in the eyes of some.
So you know what? Get your own house in order before you try telling the rest of us how to live. You'll have better luck if your smugness and shortsightedness weren't overpowering every breath y'all take.
Nice cop out
Sounds a lot like more of the "superior white males simply cannot be expected to be able to exercise self control around women and people not like them" bullshit.
Grow up and control yourself. That's what adults do. It really is that fucking simple.
Adults can disagree without name calling
I find your use of racial stereotypes problematic and the excsesive use of curse words to explain your opinion points to an underlying hostility to people who hold different views than your own. I dont know if unconscious bias training is needed for you because it's not really unconscious, anger management might be a better fit.
i lONg fOr ThE DaYs oF
i lONg fOr ThE DaYs oF ciViLitY iN diScoUrSe
Tone policing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tone_policing
Its fun
watching a rapidly declining demographic kick and scream it's way into minority status.
I should know, I'm an old white dude myself.
The maga train is off the rails, Roman.
I got called all sorts of
the fact that you think that "ethnics" was what set people off lol. you're willfully dense and that's working for you man, good luck with your life.
My point proven
I know why they felt all microaggressed. I also know, and your post adds to the evidence, that they do not have the vocabulary or the honesty to express their objections to me calling them on their socialist bullshit, so they zero in on a word, declare it heresy, and me a heretic.
I could have used any term in place if "ethnics." Any at all. I could have even referred to the kids by name I'd their names were public. I could have even just referred to them as "the kids" and the SJWs would have jumped down my throat in the exact same way.
Because their minds are poisoned.
Dicks?
The security guard taking a bathroom break is being a dick because someone thinks he's following him.
Neve mind that following people is what security guards are supposed to do. Let's think of a way to blame ourselves for the baseless paranoia of others.
We can start by getting rid of bathroom breaks for security guards. Next time, maybe he should take his dick out and piss in an empty watermelon instead so that the ethnics don't get paranoid about the guards following them and can focus their attention on how the particular painting they're admiring is problematic and needs to be protested in the shrillest way imaginable.
"the ethnics"
...
Wow.
"the ethnics"
a) no one should pay attention to your racist ass given your choice of that phrase but..
b) no, security guards are not supposed to follow people, you idiot, you absolute moron.
Keep it up
You may believe that parroting oppression makes you "not one of THOSE people", but come the right wing purge you will absolutely be identified and removed for being born where you were born and identified with the people you were born to.
No pretending that echoing bigotry will protect you from that. Look at history. Look at what happened to the complicit enablers in many genocidal regimes.
This is information and facts for you. I for one will be trying to stop that purge and (despite your statements on this forum) you will still be welcome to jump in the truck with your family and all the other "undesirable immigrants/people" headed for Canada.
Oh you poor dear
You must think Handmaid's Tale is a documentary.
Let me clue you in comrade. I'm the one telling you why it's a good idea to keep the old world bullshit out of this country, having lived in a country where it was the coin of the realm.
You're the one telling me how the tiki nazis are coming, but under no circumstances should I be allowed to have a gun to defend myself against them.
I hope you're not that just plain crazy in real life. For your sake.
It's a thing, that does not work
Harvard Business Review: Diversity Training Doesn’t Work
Harvard Business Review: Why Diversity Programs Fail
UC Berkeley: A scholar’s take on Starbucks, anti-bias training and the Berkeley experiment
Etcetera
Anthropology Now: Why Doesn’t Diversity Training Work?
Psychology Today: Mandatory Implicit Bias Training Is a Bad Idea
The Cut: Psychology’s Favorite Tool for Measuring Racism Isn’t Up to the Job
Emphasis on “it depends”
Trainings that are just given once a year on an online portal or something do very little. Ongoing teaching, training, and supervision are effective. Constant conversations about inclusion and how certain things come across are effective.
Da, Tovarisch
Daily struggle sessions at the mandatory party meeting, first thing every morning. People who confess enough sins will have their name written in the little white book. People who do not confess enough sins will have their names written in the little black book.
Or, go fuck yourself instead, maybe?
That was uncalled for...
I get that your readers might throw out snark unnecessarily from time to time, but c'mon. Be above it. I have to agree with the comment. Things like "Unconscious Bias Training" only serve to make people more neurotic than they already are, and leads them to believe they just can't say anything without upsetting someone, which in turn makes them more resentful and untrusting. I get it: some billion dollar brain with a long list of acronyms after their name thought it up and we're all just supposed to get on board. But the fact is that is does sound Orwellian and creepy, whether it's a "thing" or not.
Didn't you get the memo?
White people are even racist when they're unconscious.
That wet dream you had about making it with that hot white girl? Racist. Now if it were about a black Muslim transgender lesbian atheist illegal immigrant with a hook for a hand and no teeth...then your dream might not have been racist.
But it probably still was if you didn't meet your melanin quota. In any case, it's off to reeducation for you.
Hey Adam?
So about banning racists...
Are you sure you want to turn over that rock?
https://universalhub.com/comment/731261#comment-731261
Ascribing stereotypes and motivations to people based on their ancestry or immutable characteristics of their birth is LITERALLY racism.
If Adam were an honest Chief Censor of New Zealand, the banhammer would come down on you oh so hard.
Being white is neither
Being white is neither immutable nor strictly a result of one's ancestry. The definition of "white" has changed continuously throughout history, on a short enough time scale that individual people have gone from non-white to white over the course of their lives; it's a social status, not an ethnicity. You can be German by yourself on a desert island, but you won't be white until somebody else looks at you.
Roman, you need to step it back
I know it's hard, what with your wet dreams about "ethnics" and all, but there are better forums to get your Not the Racist, You're the Racist rants on. You're not being as clever as you think.
Not trying to be clever. Trying to be honest.
And it's not hard at all. More people should do it.
"Trying to be honest. Not hard at all"
Evidence at hand does not support your claim. Honest is probably the last description that applies to your comments.
As the guy who thought it was
As the guy who thought it was a case of the watermelon being water bottle, I feel vindicated.
i thougt that was the mix-up.
i thougt that was the mix-up. but the quote was "no food, drink or water------".
water bottle is a drink so it wouldve been redundant so i crossed it off.
with all the other racial remarks watermelon seemed to fit.
staffer warned against "water bottles," not "watermelon"
As suspected, the racial trope that caused this permanent stain on the MFA was never said. In fact, it appears that MFA staff did nothing wrong. Journalism 101 teaches reporters to be prudent, cautious and skeptical. Perhaps that part should be taught in the fourth year instead.
The MFA must name and shame its supposedly genteel members who really did engage in racial conduct and thoroughly describe what was said and done by them. The Red Sox and Celtics should have named those that they banned for alleged racial conduct too. This gives the accused the opportunity to tell their side of the story and be shamed by their peers if racism is proven. I doubt those that forever damaged the reputation of the MFA would remain welcome at the cocktail parties in Brookline, Cambridge or Chestnut Hill. Marty Walsh would have to rush to return their donations, if any.
Yeah, because "no food, no
Yeah, because "no food, no drink, and no water bottles" makes complete sense.
What doesn't make sense about it?
am i missing something?
lots of kids carry reusable water bottles, especially if theyre on a field trip.
Yeah, because "no food, no
Yeah because no food, no drink, and no watermelons makes more sense.
(By a person that does these tours for a living)
It makes perfect sense
It makes perfect sense. Not all drinks are in water bottles. There are sodas in cans, for example. Water bottles (full or empty) certainly warrant a separate mention from other "drink".
It does.
I've heard that phrasing before. People, especially kids, think a water bottle is a loophole to the "no food or drink" rule. But it's in a container! It has a cap! It can't possibly spill!
Until it does.
So yes, you need to explicitly mention it when warning people.
I would assume I could bring
I would assume I could bring a water bottle in given that it’s closed. I can understand a staff member specifying.
I....I......can't believe this.
I agree with you.
O-Fish. What the patrons said
O-Fish. What the patrons said is not illegal just in poor taste and against MFA policy.
Freedom of speech and all that. MFA is a private entity that happens to be open to the public. Their member list is private (most likely). Publicly naming them and shaming the culprits would most likely bring down the wrath of a law suits. Not in its best interest and not its job.
If "watermelon" was misquote,
If "watermelon" was misquote, then how does MFA know that "Never mind there’s fucking black kids in the way" was not a misquote?
They don't. But they get to look woke if they assume.
Out here in the real world, where it's not Kimono Day every day of the week, until there is evidence that it was said, it didn't happen.
If it were Kimono Day every day
Then it'd be Kimono week.
Really?
So the entire article is about.... the MFA having investigated the incident and its findings that were based on evidence gathered of said investigation:
One would guess that they went to the million and one cameras in the MFA, interviewed with other staff/patrons/etc to confirm what was said and by who. Doesn't jive well with your world view, or tantrum throughout this thread, which appears to be that African American school children always like lie, and that, we should be default assume that they are lying, even after an investigation to the contrary. Congrats.
The museum is loaded with
The museum is loaded with cameras. Not surprised they were able to figure out what happened.
The Toulouse Lautrec exhibit is very good.
you all know
The MFA is covered with cameras, right?
Surely, you upstanding gentlemen must.
Because
It wasn't an isolated thing. The museum goers twice uttered sentences that were seen as racist. Moreover, as the museum is heavily staffed (as alluded to in the section on the guards,) there were independent witnesses to the incidents.
The original narrative seemed too bad to be true, or at least I was hoping that it was the case. This version does sound like something I'd expect (though not want.) Of course, now that international media have picked up the story, the world will accept the first version, but I guess that is life.
What an experiment.
Bring the kids back everyday. See if the membership loss rate changes.
Short-Sighted Social Scientist
Why do you think it's OK to make these children go to the MFA every day for months or years to satisfy your curiosity? I'm sure they would rapidly tire of the exercise, and any educational benefit to them would end almost as quickly. At that point, you're forcing them to do something against their will, and against their interest.
On the other hand
There should be sufficient presence of minority children touring the institution that none are seen as "other" and this sort of thing does not happen.
It doesn't have to be the same kids, but maybe offering trips to kids from Boston and other areas of the Commonwealth with substantial minority student populations would be good for all involved.
It's not a lack of numbers thing
I'm there at least weekly. There are many Black folks there, with school groups, tour groups, with their families, with the MFA's own education programs, and working at the MFA. The youths I am there with experience a decent amount of racial microaggression. A lot of this comes from patrons, but some comes from staff. The staff can use a bit more training on bias and cultural competency, which it sounds like they're trying to do. They could also hire a lot more people of color in their education and other in-house staff (I know a lot of Black staff there, but they are behind the scenes). This shifts the culture to one that's more inclusive.
I think the real way to address this is to do exactly what they did, and let people know that their behavior is absolutely not welcome there. This is actually the first time I've heard of somewhere banning other patrons for something like this that was inappropriate but didn't rise to criminal activity, and I'm all for it. At various places, I've complained and assisted youth with complaining about other participants treating them in racist or transphobic ways, and the response is always something about how they're very sorry to hear that. Institutions can in fact decide that certain behavior is grounds for being kicked out of their facility, and I hope this paves the way for more of this type of action.
"Watermelon" trope
Although the racist behavior of the patrons is inexcusable, I thought from the start that "watermelon" business the guards were accused of sounded specious. It's like a thing from another era or something, an outdated trope that today's racist person, especially one under 60, probably wouldn't use.
The tip of the iceberg
Is this the first time minority children on school trips experienced this treatment at the MFA?
Have minority students been barred from other Museums or libraries in the city?
Remember when black families where kicked off the beaches in South Boston and escorted up to JFK station.
How many innocent minority kids have been kicked out of train stations and buses and told to walk home by the Police?
Ah, the beaches of Southie
You referenced something that happened in the 1970s, probably 45 years ago. To put that in terms of this school group, it is quite plausible that the kids’ parents were not alive when that happened.
Also, it was called Columbia Station at the time. At least be historically accurate.
Copley Square Boston Public Library
Copley Square Boston Public Library similarly should make sure that all people feel welcome, safe and respected at the Library. There will always be room to improve protocols and procedures to better reflect the Library’s institutional values of inclusion, care and shared accountability.
Are you SERIOUSLY dumping on
Are you SERIOUSLY dumping on BPL Copley? The institution that has had to become the primary day program for the homeless and mentally ill AND be a functioning library? All they do all day long is handle crazy people and you need them to do even better? What happened, did some mean old librarian not change your pamper fast enough?
for those trying to make every little detail here "make sense"
There is a lesson in this.
BIGOTS AND THE THINGS THEY SAY DO NOT MAKE SENSE
There is simply no "making it make sense" because it derives from fundamental irrational fear and hate.
Long before the rational contortions here to make sense of the things that happened to these kids (in order to dismiss them, of course) there were irrational mental contortions made in order to formulate and express the bullshit that these kids were subjected to.
Dysfunctional black white relations
Black people, especially groups of Black people, present themselves in front of Whites with the attitude of, “So, let’s see how these white people treat us. They’re probably closet racists.”
White people interact with black people in a weird way too. They are usually thinking, “Ok it’s a black person, don’t say anything that could be perceived as racist, just relax, don’t come on too strong, just be chill.”
The whole dynamic is like a dysfunctional relationship where the couple is similar enough to be together but too different to ever get along in a healthy way.
That’s one cool thing about the interactions between Asians and Blacks, it’s completely honest and not politically charged. Both groups think the others have their quirks but they accept them as just the way of the world. There is no half baked pretend effort to get the other to be more understanding or tolerant and sh*t. It’s like, “you do you, and we will do us, it’s all good bro.”
With Whites and Asians it’s like this too but many often are somewhat fearful of being perceived as anti Asian but not as much as they are toward Blacks so most interactions are like, “Hey you are Asian! That’s cool. You guys have good restaurants. That’s like, ok to say right?”
White people have issues, haha.
What fascinating insight
Do you teach a course on race relations? At which august university might we enroll to hear more of your wisdom, and in which classroom will it be taught?
I ask mostly so I know which building to burn to the ground and salt the earth.
Post a throwaway email address
I send out emails on various topics from time to time.
I could help you become a better poster erik g. You have been posting here for years and I noticed that you have hit a plateau. It could be due to aging and loss of IQ points but some people can still improve some nonetheless. Look at perruptor, a lousy poster for awhile but now I gotta admit that he is starting to get the hang of it.
How many more times can you really use the “salt the earth” metaphor?
The modern Liberal
Ah, bringing threats of violence against those who have a different opinion. A modern Liberal.
The way colleges used to be
I thought Kapil's comments were interesting and on the accurate side. Kind of like what was taught in my old college sociology classes in the 70s when people's thoughts were actually challenged and one actually risked being offended and was better for it. No "safe spaces". Before colleges became indoctrination places.
Here's Roman's course on race relations
No tuition required.
Are you ready for improved race relations with this one weird trick?
Okay, here goes:
Don't assume the worst about people just because of how much melanin their do or do not have in their skin. Treat your fellow man with respect, and demand that he reciprocate. Believe that we all play by the same rules a d that some animals are not more equal than others.
Maybe that's more than one weird trick. Might be several. But in either case, believing the worst possible interpretation of events when plenty of other scenarios are much more likely is THE one weird trick that sends all relations, across and within ethnic lines, down the toilet.
Go outside and play kids.
How much of this outstanding weekend are you going to spend on notorious time-wasting trolls? You're really not showing him a thing or two.
White kids, but not black and brown kids, can touch the art
One teacher in the group claimed that guards allowed white kids to touch art but specifically told the black and brown kids to not touch the art.
Either the teacher misunderstood what was happening or she is making a false statement. Maybe she needs to have seen this to support her perception of institutional racism. Can't know since only she understands her motivations.
But the claim that white kids were allowed to touch the art is ludicrous. Anyone of any skin color, seen by a guard touching any of the art (unless there is a sign saying "Please touch", knows they will be reminded to stop, and kicked out if they persist.
Try touching anything in the Gardner. Those guards have puppies if anyone touches even a courtyard lion supporting a column.
Giving the teacher the benefit of the doubt she most likely misinterpreted the situation, just as she misinterpreted who was making racist remarks. But making false claims - whether willful or or due to misunderstanding - still causes harm itself.
Roll the tape.
Seriously, the security cam video of this whole incident should be available to the public. Nobody needs to guess here about what happened.
No, I see this frequently
Staff absolutely look the other way when white kids are misbehaving, but are quick to get on the kids of color. This is a well-researched phenomenon. I’m not sure why you think it would be different at the MFA. I am frequently there with youth of color and see the same types of microaggressions as I see most other places that are not Black-owned.
The guards don’t intervene
The guards don’t intervene when kids are touching the art?
How much touching of art was
How much touching of art was there?
I suspect one white kid did it, then one black kid did it and got criticized by a guard, and then there was no more. That's the most reasonable scenario.
What are the solutions?
I read comments however, my only focus and interest is; what are the solutions? I know that's an incredibly broad question. However I asked, everyone who offers any comment, to offer at the end of your comment ; a solution or Solutions.
Will people all agree with each other Solutions probably not but at least someone made hopefully, a substantive attempt to offer Solutions.
In the future I recommend every cultural Institution to send recommended protocols governing ones visit to their Institutions. Maybe you could do a YouTube video? I don't have all the ideas, I'm just throwing the one out there.
When I was young I went to an opera and I didn't know it was improper to leave your seat during an active show. And there were other instances in which I went on a field trips with my classmate from a public school and in a childishly way, I did something innocently contraire.
Couple things
I feel like MFA is protecting their brand by vindicating the security they’ve hired of all accusations. In turn placing all the blame on non employees to insulate itself from what really happened.
What’s been forgotten by everyone here in the comments is the fact that we are talking about 13 year old children. What do they have to gain by exaggerating something insignificant into a newsworthy spectacle? Another free trip to the MFA????
As a black man born and raised in Boston I can tell you for a fact that there are many places in the city that each demographic feels like belongs to them exclusively, including my own... An issue that is certainly in decline, but most definitely still exists.
S/O to Uhub for giving closet/computer racists a safe place to vent their frustrations. There’s no telling what these weirdos would do without it.
This discussion is closed
It's Memorial Day weekend and I just don't feel like spending more of it reading racist crap.