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I'm not even kidding. A University of Illinois math professor named Rochelle Gutierrez is claiming algebra and geometry perpetuate white privilege because many of the terms have Greek origins.
Not only is the notion ridiculous it's also not true. I don't have any idea if Rochelle is a math wizard or not but she should probably spend some time studying her history.
Most of the origins of mathematics (as we understand it today) come from the middle east and not Greek or European culture. Many of the terms are Greek, but they're derived from Egyptian or Arabic words.
What is really insulting is the fact that Mrs. Gutierrez doesn't even realize how racist her white privilege comments are. They assume blacks, Asians and Hispanics are not/can not be as good at mathematics as their white counterparts.
It's stories like this that make me nervous about sending my own children to college. The idea that there is a math professor teaching this garbage is destructive to the education these young adults are getting, and it perpetuates the idea that, if you're a person of color, you can't do as well as your white classmates.
By Jason Stapleton4.6
18681,868 ratings
I'm not even kidding. A University of Illinois math professor named Rochelle Gutierrez is claiming algebra and geometry perpetuate white privilege because many of the terms have Greek origins.
Not only is the notion ridiculous it's also not true. I don't have any idea if Rochelle is a math wizard or not but she should probably spend some time studying her history.
Most of the origins of mathematics (as we understand it today) come from the middle east and not Greek or European culture. Many of the terms are Greek, but they're derived from Egyptian or Arabic words.
What is really insulting is the fact that Mrs. Gutierrez doesn't even realize how racist her white privilege comments are. They assume blacks, Asians and Hispanics are not/can not be as good at mathematics as their white counterparts.
It's stories like this that make me nervous about sending my own children to college. The idea that there is a math professor teaching this garbage is destructive to the education these young adults are getting, and it perpetuates the idea that, if you're a person of color, you can't do as well as your white classmates.

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