Thursday, May 14, 2015

'This University's "Commitment" to Diversity is a Travesty'



“I No Longer Believe That Elite Private Colleges Can Be Reformed”

Chris Pepus is an American freelance writer whose work has appeared in such publications as Razorcake, The Progressive, In These Times, SCLC Magazine, the Chicago Reader, and American Theatre.

A son of manual laborers, his writings have focused on what he describes as “the most studiously ignored concept in the U.S.A.: social class”. He’s actively involved with researching legal and educational reform, as well as the ways culture reflects the values of the elite.

“As a white person of the working class, I’m not shy about addressing the media’s treatment of people it considers ‘white trash’. I believe the most important question today is how to unite working-class people of different racial and religious backgrounds, genders, sexualities, and nationalities,” Pepus notes.

The outspoken writer and activist, who’s penned controversial articles on comedian Bill Maher and New York Times columnist David Brooks, joins me to discuss his recent resignation from Washington University in St. Louis, his battle to have his page Facebook page reinstated, and the inherent danger facing many of this nation’s low-income teens and adolescents planning to attend top colleges or universities.

The Skype interview was conducted on April 2, 2015.

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