Michigan and California institutions ban the word 'field' as racist
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Censorship Michigan and California institutions ban the word 'field' as racist ByJeremiah Poff, Education Reporter January 11, 2023 05:15 PM
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the University of Southern California's school of social work have taken steps to ban the word "field" on official documents, citing racist implications.
In a Monday memo, the University of Southern California's Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work informed students, faculty, and staff that it would no longer use the word "field" or "field work" from its curriculum and would now use the term "practicum" instead because the word "field" was linked to slavery.
"This change supports anti-racist social work practice by replacing language that would be considered anti-Black or anti-immigrant in favor of inclusive language," the letter said. "Language can be powerful, and phrases such as 'going into the field' or 'field work' may have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigrant workers that are not benign."
Today, @uscsocialwork sent out this letter announcing that they will no longer use the word "field" (as in "conducting field work") because it's perceived as racist. Is this with merit or empty virtue signaling? @elonmusk@IngrahamAnglepic.twitter.com/kgM9p4MAb5
— Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD (@houmanhemmati) January 10, 2023
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Cherise Trump, the executive director of the free speech organization Speech First, blasted the university's policing of language, noting that "the absurdity of 'approved speech' coming from our universities often stops people from understanding the significance of just how bad it has actually become for students on these campuses."
Trump, who is not related to the former president, added: "Administrators are employing despotic tactics not only to suppress students' voices, but to also teach students that because anything can be 'offensive,' students should let universities be the arbiter of what is right and wrong. It is imperative that these desires to censor and compel speech on campuses are taken seriously. Board members, faculty, state, and federal lawmakers need to act when they see their universities putting speech codes in place, no matter how ridiculous."
The censorship of the word "field" was not limited to USC. A similar story unfolded in Michigan, where officials at the state's Department of Health and Human Services issued a memorandum on Jan. 4, which said the department would no longer use the terms "field work" or "field worker" due to its supposed racial connotation," the Washington Free Beacon reported .
"Recently, staff and stakeholders have raised concerns about the use of the term 'field worker' and its implications for descendants of enslaved Black and Brown individuals," the memo says. "While the widespread use of this term is not intended to be harmful, we cannot ignore the impact its use has on our employees."
The department said staff should use the terms "community/local office" and "community/local staff."
"This action is a small step towards creating a culture that values the contributions and voice of all employees," the memo read.
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So in my 26 years as US Army FIELD Artillery and the field work associated with that has been racist?
About like my 20 years in US Navy Medical/ Radiological Technology field. If that makes me racist, I proudly accept it!
Wasn't military service considered racist at one point?
Racism is over if this is an issue,
These word banning things are silly - this news banning "field" along with Governor Huckabee banning "Latinx" yesterday are stupid. Then again, Since I don't live in Arkansas, California or Michigan I don't really care all that much. They can keep their silliness and I'll keep using all the words.
Latinx is an invented word for the radical left "woke world" that even Latinos and Latinas don't like.
I don't care.
"I don't care."
Of course not.
Absolutely agree
When it comes to banning both sides have gone over the cliff of nonorganic cancel-culture wars. To quote the O.E.D., 'cunts'.
WOW! I now own a racist plot of ground
No, you still own a field, the word practicum refers to a field of study. No one will ask you how many acres your 'practicum' includes.
So it's a Football / Baseball / Soccer "practicum" now?
They will definitely need to change the name of the stadiums now, as field is a synonym for stadium. Can't have that in our woke new world...
Someone's going to have rename Costner's movie "Practicum of Dreams". Also:
The list is endless!
Field is the new F - word.
Lol!
Next step is ban on cotton shirts.
You are getting carried away with trying to be funny.
This is something that should be made fun of
Amen to that!
Morning..
Field??...🤣🤣
Nahh..its a paddock...there you go... fixed it again for you mob..you will be speaking Aussie in no time..🦘
I remember from when I was a kid a doctor telling my father that the only reason insane people are locked up is because the rest of us are the majority. I'm beginning to think he was right.
I'm kind of surprised to see this coming from a university that names its team after a brand of condoms.
You’ve got it backwards Buzz, USC Trojans predate the condoms by four years, 1912 vs. 1916. Perhaps the Fey and Young company named their condoms after the football team.
LOL. Thanks for the research. However, if I were in charge of the USC team, I would have eventually changed its name because of the association, or on the other hand, maybe they WANT that association.
Another bit of history, whether or not mythological, is that the Trojans were LOSERS. After centuries of the Greeks being unable to penetrate the walls of Troy, they came up with the Trojan horse, and accessing the city hidden inside it, destroyed Troy.
My daughter got one of her Master's degrees at USC. Rosa Parks spoke at her graduation.