A math professor at the University of Illinois is convinced that algebra and geometry perpetuate “white privilege.”
Rochelle Gutierrez argues in a newly-published math textbook for educators that teachers should be aware of the “identity politics” of basic math.
“On many levels, mathematics itself operates as Whiteness,” she explains. “Who gets credit for doing and developing mathematics, who is capable in mathematics, and who is seen as part of the mathematical community is generally viewed as White.”
She adds that subjects like algebra and geometry are big offenders in perpetuating “racism” because “curricula emphasizing terms like Pythagorean theorem and pi perpetuate a perception that mathematics was largely developed by Greeks and other Europeans.”
But, aside from the math itself being “racist,” Gutierrez argues that, because most math teachers are white, white students apparently are better able to grasp math.
“If one is not viewed as mathematical, there will always be a sense of inferiority that can be summoned,” she says, claiming that minorities “have experienced microaggressions from participating in math classrooms… [where people are] judged by whether they can reason abstractly.”
Gutierrez concludes her article by writing that math, colloquially known as the language of the universe cannot be understood objectively. Someone evidently missed their calling as a gender studies professor.
AAN Staff
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