Podcasts about erec smith

In this episode of Competencies in Civil Discourse, Erec Smith welcomes William Deresiewicz to explore the mission of the Matthew Strother Center for the Examined Life. Together, they unpack the role of intellectual courage, liberal education, and moral seriousness in reviving thoughtful dialogue in an age of ideological conformity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal. First, we speak with Rahna Epting – executive director of the progressive group MOVE ON. We'll talk about what the so-called "resistance" movement looks like in the second Trump presidency. Then, a conversation with Erec Smith – a research fellow at the Cato Institute – and co-founder of the online platform "Free Black Thought." We'll talk about why he SUPPORTS Trump administration efforts to dismantle DEI programs. Plus, a deep dive into President Trump's executive order related to how federal elections are run. David Becker from the Center for Election Innovation and Research joins us for THAT discussion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Modeling civil discourse is crucial”. In this episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast, Chris and Joia engage with Erec Smith, an expert in Rhetoric, discussing the critical role of free speech in society. Smith emphasizes the importance of effective communication skills, the concept of Defensive Confidence, and the need for resilience in the face of criticism. He shares insights on preparing for public speaking and the significance of modeling civil discourse to foster a culture of free speech. The conversation highlights the necessity of understanding rhetorical principles and the value of individual expression in a thriving society. Discover more about Erec's work championing the importance of civil discourse and the rhetorical skills necessary to practice it at: https://www.cato.org/video-series/competencies-civil-discourse/competencies-civil-discourse-0

Higher education is at a crossroads. American universities are facing important questions about accountability and viability, including concerns about ideological influences, rising administrative costs, shifting academic expectations, and the growing challenge of student loan debt. But what are the underlying causes of these challenges, and how can we address them?Join us for a thoughtful discussion with The Honorable Representative Burgess Owens, chairman of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, alongside Cato experts Erec Smith, PhD, and Andrew Gillen, PhD as they examine the challenges facing academia today and explore practical solutions for the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an era when constructive dialogue often takes a back seat to polarized debate, educators like you face unique challenges in teaching effective communication. Recognizing this, Sphere Education Initiatives presents a webinar exploring how you can use rhetoric as a powerful tool for student empowerment and authentic engagement in your educational setting. In the first segment of the webinar, featured speaker Erec Smith, PhD, will share insights on transforming traditional approaches to teaching rhetoric, emphasizing how it can empower all students' abilities to achieve their goals, even those considered most vulnerable. The second segment will introduce a comprehensive rhetoric unit for teaching the rhetorical skills of speaking, listening, and fair‐​minded critical thinking in your classroom. Following this segment, you will have the opportunity to explore practical applications of these concepts through a Q&A with Smith and Kobi Nelson, PhD. You will leave with concrete tools for implementing rhetorical techniques and fair‐​minded critical thinking strategies that promote civil discourse in your classroom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Erec Smith continues his series, Competencies in Civil Discourse, examining how people engage with one another and why they often shy away from discussions with those who hold opposing views. This edition explores the role of comedy as a valuable tool in civil discourse. Smith sits down with filmmaker Rob Feld, director of Jesters and Fools, a film that highlights the use of comedy during polarized times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send Wilk a text with your feedback!The Importance of Intrapersonal Empowerment in Bettering Civil DiscourseToday, I'm excited to introduce Erec Smith, another fellow member of the board of advisors at the ProHuman Foundation and a powerful voice for true empowerment and personal accountability, especially in today's social climate. Erec is a research fellow at the Cato Institute and a former Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. His work explores how rhetoric influences our perspectives on anti-racism, activism, and the foundations of a free, pluralistic, and civil society.But Erec's reach goes beyond the classroom. He's a co-founder of Free Black Thought, a nonprofit that's challenging the status quo by celebrating viewpoint diversity within Black communities. Through their Journal of Free Black Thought, they share everything from poetry to scholarly work—bringing out the voices of artists, writers, academics, and public intellectuals often overlooked by mainstream media.In today's conversation, Erec and I dig into some critical ideas about personal empowerment and the dangers of a victim narrative. One of Erec's key messages is the importance of choosing to be a “victor” in our own lives, rather than seeing ourselves as victims. He's observed that the victim narrative, while powerful, often breeds resentment rather than resilience, which ultimately disempowers us.We also explore some big questions: What does real equity look like, and can some equity efforts inadvertently lead to more division? Erec shares how outreach programs, when done right, prepare young people to navigate and thrive in college—not just to check boxes but to actually feel empowered.Erec's insights on intrapersonal empowerment really hit home. He believes that the path to civil discourse—and to bridging divides—is through strengthening the individual first. It's only when we have strong, accountable individuals that we can come together with others to reach common goals and view no group as a monolith. At the heart of Erec's message is this: through personal accountability and a commitment to working together, we can overcome almost anything.Learn more about and connect with Erec Smith by checking out the full show notes for this episode at www.DeWhat have you done today to make your life a better life? What have you done today to make the world a better place? The world is a better place if we are better people. That begins with each of us as individuals. Be kind to one another. Be grateful for everything you've got. Make each and every day the day that you want it to be! Please follow The Derate The Hate podcast on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(X) , YouTube Subscribe to us wherever you enjoy your audio or directly from our site. Please leave us a rating and feedback on Apple podcasts or other platforms. Not on social media? You can share your thoughts or request Wilk for a speaking engagement on our site's contact page: DerateTheHate.com/Contact If you would like to support the show, you're welcome to DONATE or shop Amazon by going through our Support Us page and I'll earn through qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. I look forward to hearing from you!

Civil discourse is an important aspect of a free and pluralistic democracy. That said, many people do not participate in civil discourse. There are several reasons for this: fear of being wrong, lack of rhetorical skill, negative emotionality, etc. What's more, this refusal or inability to speak to those with whom we disagree is growing by the day.Join our virtual discussion as scholars Erec Smith and Jonathan Rauch discuss the art of “mutual persuasion” in a turbulent time.This conversation is being supported by Project Sphere, a collaboration between the Cato Institute and the Brookings Institution that creates a constructive space to discuss areas of disagreement in a civil forum. Our goal is to resist political polarization by emphasizing areas of agreement even within contentious conversations. To learn more, visit Pro​ject​Sphere​.org. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few changes might make for broadly better political debates, especially debates among presidential candidates. Erec Smith makes his case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Main Street Matters, Elaine Parker and Toni Angelini talk with Erec Smith, a research fellow at the Cato Institute and co-founder of Free Black Thought. They discuss the mission of Free Black Thought, the rapid rise of DEI and CRT in education, and the conflation of privilege with accomplishment. Erec emphasizes the importance of entrepreneurship in overcoming societal barriers and the need for effective messaging to promote these ideas. The conversation also touches on cultural sensitivity, challenges in academia, and the future of education and advocacy. Main Street Matters is part of the Salem Podcast Network. For more visit JobCreatorsNetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The next time you hear someone say, "I think we should have a more diverse staff" or "What are our company's diversity goals?" here are the questions you need to ask. Tune in for this practical teaching. Watch part 1 of this teaching: https://www.youtube.com/live/HCD0dDXpEVI?si=H0ytOY9aj6LoB7Ac Watch the full interview with Dr. Erec Smith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZSusqfJeD4

The next time you hear someone say, "I think we should have a more diverse staff" or "What are our company's diversity goals?" here are the questions you need to ask. Tune in for this practical teaching. Watch part 1 of this teaching: https://www.youtube.com/live/HCD0dDXpEVI?si=H0ytOY9aj6LoB7Ac Watch the full interview with Dr. Erec Smith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZSusqfJeD4

DEI training has shifted from promoting equity to being weakly replaced with critical social justice, which today's guest claims is inherently racist. Dr. Erec Smith, an anti-racist activist, shares how business owners can foster a diverse company culture – without the guise of generic performative activism. KEY TOPICS The ways that contemporary DEI trainings are “inherently racist.” How to “climate check” your company. Ways to organically foster diversity in your company – WITHOUT QUOTAS.   CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Mission of Decidedly 00:52 Boring Required Trainings 04:13 Dr. Eric Smith's Experience with DEI Training 06:11 Prescriptive Racism 09:09 Limitations of Modern DEI Initiatives 12:29 Shortcomings of Critical Social Justice 19:00 Changing Definitions of Words 27:54 White People's Involvement in DEI 29:20 The Pressure to Conform 32:42 Root Motivations of DEI 35:07 Fostering a Diverse Business 37:58 The Culture of Your Company 41:25 Getting 1:1 with Your Team 44:00 Social Groups 48:00 Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone 51:02 Bridging Relationships 52:58 Empowerment Theory   CONNECT WITH US www.decidedlypodcast.com Subscribe on YouTube Join us on Instagram: @decidedlypodcast Join us on Facebook Shawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmith     Thank you to Shelby Peterson of Transcend Media for editing and post-production of the Decidedly podcast.   SANGER'S BOOK: A Life Rich with Significance: Transforming Your Wealth to Meaningful Impact   SHAWN'S BOOK: Plateau Jumping: What to Change When Change Is What You Want   MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION? At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy.  LEARN MORE: www.decidedlywealth.com   SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER:https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001aeU_pPBHJPNJWJBdVbaci6bjGIuEJurH12xHBWDEVT_NxyCadMd7wLSZjcEZglkSjDjehuIbTHD8nABOIdV69ctfYpSzg24RCIytetBUrlIPPKgaGzjGZ8DkM0Wp1LMjbErcYUur7PbZGjeVo4gyXlz821AoJGZR      CONNECT WITH EREC SMITH, PH.D. Website: www.freeblackthought.com Erec Smith is a research fellow at the Cato Institute and an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. Although he has eclectic scholarly interests, his primary work focuses on the rhetoric of anti-racist activism, theory, and pedagogy, as well as the role of rhetoric in a free, pluralistic, and civil society.  He co-founded Free Black Thought, a nonprofit highlighting viewpoint diversity within black communities. Free Black Thought includes a compendium of black artists, writers, academics, and public intellectuals not discussed in mainstream media. The organization also has a Journal of Free Black Thought, which publishes anything–from poetry to scholarly work—that discusses or displays a variety of viewpoints within the black diaspora.  Smith is the author of A Critique of Anti-Racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment (2020), a book in which he scrutinizes contemporary modes of anti-racism in his field. The book was conceived after Smith's observations of his field led him to conclude that anti‐​racist initiatives did more to disempower students and faculty than empower them.  Smith is an advisor for both the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism and Counterweight, an organization that advocates for classical liberal concepts of social justice.

DEI - three letters that in the last four years have dominated political discussions. What once seemed like a well intentioned practice - has shown to be layered in nonsense, racist practices, and marxist ideas. Dr. Erec Smith, a professor and current research fellow at the Cato Institute, joins us today to discuss the problems with DEI, how we can help fix higher ed, and how he sees the perspectives of minority folks changing during these strange times. You can find more from Dr. Smith at FreeBlackThought.com - an organization in which he is the co-founder. Also on today's episode, fresh off the CNN Milwaukee set, Scott returns to recap his week and Biden's interview! Join us!    See more from Erec Smith here: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/04/19/opinion/dei-prescriptive-racism/

Ideological commitments shouldn't harm your ability to receive medical treatment. Erec Smith and Jeff Singer discuss a troubling evolution in how medical education is delivered in the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is with one of our guest speakers at The Unspeakeasy retreat in Chicago. If you're interested in going, learn more here. This week Meghan welcomes returning guest Erec Smith. He is an academic whose area of scholarship is Rhetoric, but he also writes and speaks frequently about the state of race politics in America, particularly the perils (and uses) of DEI. In this conversation, they talk about the concept of prescriptive racism, which Erec wrote about in a recent Boston Globe column, and ask whether the emergence of the concept of microaggressions has resulted mainly in people steering clear of one another. They also discuss what's happened on college campuses since Erec was on the podcast a year ago, including the ouster of college presidents like Harvard's Claudine Gay and U Penn's Liz Magill over free speech policies. He also discusses what he was like as a college student carrying around a copy of Emerson's Self-Reliance and how he would have felt if he'd been told that he was living under the thumb of white supremacy. Erec will be a guest speaker at the first-ever Unspeakeasy coed retreat in Chicago on June 4-5. We'll also be joined by recent Unspeakable guests Nadine Strossen and Lisa Selin Davis. To find out about that go to theunspeakeasy.com.) Make sure you listen all the way to the end, so you can hear an excerpt from Everyone's A Little Bit Racist from the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q. (Probably not coming to a high school theater near you.) GUEST BIO Erec Smith is a professor of rhetoric at York College of PA, a research scholar at the Cato Insitute, and a co-founder and an editor at Free Black Thought. Read Erec's recent Boston Globe column on prescriptive racism. Listen to the last time he was on the podcast. Want to hear the whole conversation? Upgrade your subscription here. HOUSEKEEPING ✈️ 2024 Unspeakeasy Retreats — See where we'll be in 2024! https://bit.ly/3Qnk92n

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become the topic of policy discussions across several aspects of society. DEI is now seen to have complex impacts, and policymakers are working to tackle this new area of policy in the public square. Please join us for a discussion with Senator Eric Schmitt (R‑MO) and Cato research fellow Erec Smith on the impacts of DEI on education, government, and society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You've been hearing about DEI training. It's supposed to make us aware of our unconscious prejudice. But Rhetoric Professor and former diversity trainer Erec Smith tells me today's DEI training does more harm than good. "If you can keep this race thing going," he explains, "then you will always have a business in getting rid of racism.”

Is “black heterodoxy” a euphemism for “black conservatism”? … Classical liberalism's role in Free Black Thought … Erec: I saw things while working as a diversity officer that I can't unsee … Why the Democratic Party doesn't like Erec … How Free Black Thought is fostering agency in the black community … Erec: The onus […]

How free is your state? In the seventh edition of Freedom in the 50 States, authors Jason Sorens and William P. Ruger answer that question with the most comprehensive measure of governmental respect for economic and personal freedom at the state level. The 2023 edition presents a revised and updated ranking of each state and introduces many new policy variables and changes in the broader policy environment, including a retrospective evaluation of each state's COVID-19 response as well as a refreshed analysis of how the policies driving income growth and interstate migration have changed. Join us for a discussion with the authors moderated by Erec Smith, research fellow at the Cato Institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is “black heterodoxy” a euphemism for “black conservatism”? ... Classical liberalism's role in Free Black Thought ... Erec: I saw things while working as a diversity officer that I can't unsee ... Why the Democratic Party doesn't like Erec ... How Free Black Thought is fostering agency in the black community ... Erec: The onus is on us, not affirmative action, to prepare black students for college ... What is rhetoric, anyway? ...

Is “black heterodoxy” a euphemism for “black conservatism”? ... Classical liberalism's role in Free Black Thought ... Erec: I saw things while working as a diversity officer that I can't unsee ... Why the Democratic Party doesn't like Erec ... How Free Black Thought is fostering agency in the black community ... Erec: The onus is on us, not affirmative action, to prepare black students for college ... What is rhetoric, anyway? ...

Erec Smith, our guest this week, is an associate professor of rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. He is also the co-founder of Free Black Thought, a website that "seeks to represent the rich diversity of black thought beyond the relatively narrow spectrum of views promoted by mainstream outlets..." In a Newsweek article, Prof. Smith wrote: "We hear endlessly about systemic racism, white supremacy, the black/white income gap, and police brutality. So powerful an ideology has this narrative become that those of us who pose a credible counter-narrative—black anti-woke writers, for example—frequently find our words being misconstrued in an effort to stanch their impact."  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erec Smith, our guest this week, is an associate professor of rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. He is also the co-founder of Free Black Thought, a website that "seeks to represent the rich diversity of black thought beyond the relatively narrow spectrum of views promoted by mainstream outlets..." In a Newsweek article, Prof. Smith wrote: "We hear endlessly about systemic racism, white supremacy, the black/white income gap, and police brutality. So powerful an ideology has this narrative become that those of us who pose a credible counter-narrative—black anti-woke writers, for example—frequently find our words being misconstrued in an effort to stanch their impact."  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erec Smith is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. Although he has eclectic scholarly interests, Smith's primary work focuses on the rhetorics of anti-racist activism, theory, and pedagogy. He is the president of the Foundation for Free Black Thought. Smith's recent books include A Critique of Anti-Racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment (2020) and The Lure of Disempowerment: Reclaiming Agency in the Age of CRT (2022). He tweets here.Documentaries mentioned:"The Woke Reformation" by Travis Brown "The Reformers" by Mike NaynaWatch this episode on YouTube.

Erec Smith, a Professor of Rhetoric and the co-founder of Free Black Thought, joins Chelsea Follett to discuss the problems with critical social justice and how we can pursue true empowerment through classical liberal ideas. Erec Smith is a Visiting Scholar of Politics and Society for the Cato Institute and an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. Although he has eclectic scholarly interests, his primary work focuses on the rhetorics of anti‐​racist activism, theory, and pedagogy as well as the role of rhetoric in a free, pluralistic, and civil society. He is a co‐​founder of Free Black Thought, a nonprofit dedicated to highlighting viewpoint diversity within the black communities. Free Black Thought includes a compendium of black artists, writers, academics, and public intellectuals not discussed in mainstream media. The Organization also has a Journal of Free Black Thought, that publishes anything–from poetry to scholarly work—that discusses or displays a variety of viewpoints within the black diaspora. Smith is the author or A Critique of Anti‐​Racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment (2020), a book in which he scrutinizes contemporary modes of anti‐​racism in his field. The book was conceived after Smiths observations of his field led him to conclude that anti‐​racist initiatives did more to disempower students and faculty than empower them. Learn more: https://www.cato.org/people/erec-smith Chelsea Follett is the managing editor of Human​Progress​.org, a project of the Cato Institute that seeks to educate the public on the global improvements in well‐​being by providing free empirical data on long‐​term developments. Learn more: https://www.cato.org/people/chelsea-follett Want to find HumanProgress.org elsewhere on the internet? Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/humanprogressorg Twitter - https://twitter.com/HumanProgress Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/HumanProgressorg

This panel explores the impacts and outcomes of critical social justice ideology on black wellbeing in k‑12 and higher ed. Starting in pre‑K and ending in the university, education that claims to empower students within a liberal arts education often seems disempowering and quite illiberal. This toxic tutelage, according to the team at Free Black Thought, does more harm than good. Hear members of Free Black Thought have a conversation on what needs to be done, what can be done, and what is already being done to combat the detriments of critical social justice pedagogy in our schools.Panelists for this webinar include Dr. Tabia Lee, a founding member of Free Black Thought, Jason Littlefield, executive director of EmpowerED Pathways, Connie Morgan, author and UX researcher, and Erec Smith, associate professor of rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania and visiting scholar at the Cato Institute. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do "race essentialists" think about how people ought to view and interact with each other? Erec Smith, a visiting scholar at the Cato Institute, discusses what it means to be a race essentialist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have been following Erec Smith for at least the last couple of years. Erec resigned as a 'Diversity Officer" once he saw the dangers of how this industry is framing the work and the vocabulary. He gives us some inside baseball on DEI and its goals. DEI makes a lot of sense "if your goal is social transformation . . revolutionizing society, getting rid of powers that be and establishing something else." "If you can make people question the very fundamentals of that society then that society will eventually hobble and eventually fall." Erec is a Co-Founder and Co-Editor of Free Black Thought, a visiting scholar for Cato Institute, and an Associate Professor of Rhetoric. Who controls the meaning of words?   www.cwicmedia.com 

Stossel. Part 11. Seven Segments. John Stossel- Censorship Run Amok: Covid, The Lab Leak, Masks & The Twitter Files Classic Stossel: Battle for the Future Catching Covid Makes Me Resent Big Government Even More CON Law 911: You Must Get Your Competitor's Permission to Compete Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: DEI Training's Unintended Consequences Privatize Air Traffic Control! Not All Students Are Woke Socialists   Censorship Run Amok: Covid, The Lab Leak, Masks & The Twitter Files Watch this video at- https://youtu.be/le0El7oEL8Q John Stossel 809K subscribers 36,913 views Apr 11, 2023 Many reports and opinions once labelled “misinformation” turned out to be true. ————In recent years, people in government and big media suddenly decided it was their job to stop “misinformation." Facebook banned posts that claimed Covid leaked from a lab. Now experts say the lab leak theory is probably right. Senator Rand Paul was suspended from YouTube for saying, “masks don't work very well, particularly the cloth masks.” What he said is absolutely true. Twitter prevented the NY Post's reporting about Hunter Biden's laptop from being shared. The story was accurate. It's bad thing when media censors people. It's worse when government polices speech. Twitter's recently released internal files show government tried to control what you read. To get our new weekly video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://www.johnstossel.com/#subscribe ————   https://youtu.be/464ICVTOlZU Classic Stossel: Battle for the Future John Stossel 809K subscribers 95,304 views Apr 7, 2023 The news is ugly. Big government keeps growing. The Federal government alone, now spends $19,434 per American. When I did this video 12 years ago, it was ONLY $10,000. Back then two visions were at war for the future of America: On the left, the progressives, on the right, the conservatives. They clashed about the healthcare bill, Wall Street reform, and the stimulus packages. But the fight really boiled down to one key question: Do we need MORE or LESS government? A Classic Stossel from 2010.   https://youtu.be/CUogvTyemzw Catching Covid Makes Me Resent Big Government Even More John Stossel 809K subscribers 434,683 views Apr 4, 2023 I dodged Covid for three years. Then I caught it. The much vilified free market may have saved my life. ———— To get our new weekly video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://www.johnstossel.com/#subscribe ———— Covid was much worse than any flu I've had. I really thought I might die. This is what happened.   https://youtu.be/uAFPd1ujN5U CON Law 911: You Must Get Your Competitor's Permission to Compete John Stossel 809K subscribers 350,434 views. Mar 28, 2023 Want to start a business? Imagine having to get your competitors' permission first. In 35 states, laws block certainties of new businesses from operating unless they get their competitor's permission. They are called Certificate of Need laws, also called “CON” laws. ———— To get our new weekly video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://www.johnstossel.com/#subscribe ———— One such law prevents Phillip Truesdell from operating ambulances in Kentucky. The Pacific Legal Foundation, (pacificlegal.org) has filed a lawsuit on his behalf, with the goal of getting the CON law declared unconstitutional. His lawyer Anastasia Boden, says we need competition, “because competition has been the driving force of innovation, lower prices and better services.” I agrees, “competition works! CON laws are a bad deal for both consumers and entrepreneurs. No one should have to ask permission to compete.   https://youtu.be/D2KX8wXzc78 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: DEI Training's Unintended Consequences John Stossel 809K subscribers 706,286 views. Mar 21, 2023 All big companies now require "DEI" training for employees, but studies say that often BACKFIRES. ———— To get our new weekly video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://www.johnstossel.com/#subscribe ———— One study looked at 800 companies, and found that after companies did trainings, they actually came to have FEWER black managers. How is that possible? Erec Smith, a former DEI trainer, now a Professor of Rhetoric at York College, tells me: "It seems to be making people less likely to interact with people who are unlike them ... because it's like a minefield now." He explains that the trainings can make people so afraid of saying something wrong, that people just avoid each other. “If you ask somebody what they do for a living, somehow that's racist, right? If you learn that, then why would you take a chance?" That's the just the tip of the iceberg, regarding DEI's problems. You can watch the video above for more strange ideas that come from it, like “try to be less white" and the idea that some kids don't need to learn standard English.   https://youtu.be/ivA2MquHLvY Privatize Air Traffic Control! John Stossel 809K subscribers 152,917 views • Mar 14, 2023 Private air traffic control would be faster, cheaper and maybe safer. ———— To get our new weekly video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://www.johnstossel.com/#subscribe ———— In America, air traffic control is run by the federal government. Since government doesn't do anything well, our flight control technology is lousy. Earlier this year, a government computer failure grounded flights nationwide. For decades, the FAA has promised to modernize the system. But it never happens. Government at work. Private air traffic control works well in other countries. Why can't we have it here?   https://youtu.be/ZKMkyCk03xM Not All Students Are Woke Socialists John Stossel 809K subscribers 244,436 views Mar 7, 2023 Today, most students are taught that capitalism is a problem. These students know capitalism makes life better. ———— To get our new weekly video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://www.johnstossel.com/#subscribe ———— They learned free market ideas from Stossel in the Classroom (SITC.org), my non-profit that gives teachers videos to play in class. Each year we hold a contest. We invite students to submit written or video essays. The best ones win $2,500. “Individual liberty is crucial for people and communities to flourish,” says Concordia University's Ian Hunter. He won our college video contest. These students know more than most American politicians.

Recently, De Anza Community College fired Tabia Lee as its faculty director for the Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education for taking an inclusive and dialogical approach to her job that did not align with the school's particular version of social justice. What makes this different from others who have lost their jobs for not toeing this ideological line? Lee is black, and she was accused of being a white supremacist. Erec Smith of York College of Pennsylvania has also been vilified for questioning the efficacies of contemporary anti‐​racist theories and practices.In this online forum, Lee and Smith will discuss their experiences and theorizations about being black academics who embrace classical liberal values in academic spaces that seem to grow increasingly hostile to such views, especially from people of color. As cofounders of Free Black Thought, an organization that celebrates viewpoint diversity among black Americans, their perspective may provide a different and nuanced understanding of social justice and anti‐​racist initiatives in higher education (and beyond). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Free Black Thought president and co-founder, Erec Smith discusses anti-racism in his field and the negative ramifications of its application.Support the show

Erec Smith is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania and a prominent voice in the effort to bring greater nuance to conversations about anti-racism and identity movements. Erec was on The Unspeakable back in July of 2021 talking about Critical Race Theory, specifically what it means and where it began. Now he's back for a more free-ranging conversation about the state of racial discussions on campuses, in the workplace and in the culture more broadly. In this episode, he and Meghan discuss the Elimination of Harmful Language initiative released by Stanford last month, which classified words such as “brave” and “guru” as problematic. Erec offers practical advice about how to respond when Critical Race Theory or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion protocols are introduced into your school or workplace; for instance how to distinguish positive and useful implementations of CRT and DEI from counterproductive ones, what questions to ask, who to ask, and how to ask those questions in a non-threatening way. He talks about the concept of a “kairotic moment,” why, as a black academic, he's become (in his words) a pariah in his field, and why he thinks contemporary anti-racism efforts have a hand in keeping racism alive.    This episode offers bonus content! Erec sticks around for some extra conversation that's available to paying subscribers at https://meghandaum.substack.com. Here, Meghan asks how Erec feels about his life circumstances at this moment–not just professionally but personally. Erec talks about the price he's paid for not toeing the party line, what it's like to live in a rural area as an unmarried middle aged person, and the loneliness of being out of ideological step with your peers and neighbors.   Guest Bio: Erec Smith is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. Although he has eclectic scholarly interests, Smith's primary focuses on the rhetorics of anti-racist activism, theory, and pedagogy. He is a co-founder of Free Black Thought, a website dedicated to highlighting viewpoint diversity within the black intelligentsia. Smith is a Writing Fellow for Heterodox Academy, a Senior Fellow for the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism and an advisor for Counterweight, an organization that advocates for classical liberal concepts of social justice.

The season 3 finale welcomes Dr. Erec Smith, an associate professor of rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania to the podcast. We discuss the new discourse of Anti-Racism and its negative effects on education and course materials, the importance of individualism and why it tends to be feared, erroneous and limited narratives of Black communities in America and the individuals they comprise, Social Justice and the Civil Rights Movement, and significance of Bayard Rustin, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X as representing free, open, and diverse Black thought. All this and more on #MOI! Thanks, Erec!

Thursday York College professor and expert in language, literacy, and rhetoric Dr. Erec Smith discusses rhetoric in America today. Mike Gibson shares his thoughts on the judicial review process in Colorado.

In this episode, we dive into a discussion of anti-racism with Dr. Erec Smith. Dr. Smith is a Professor of English Language, Literacy and Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. He is the author of several books, is a Writing Fellow for Heterodox Academy, and is a co-founder of Free Black Thought. Dr. Smith is an ardent critic of certain ideas relevant to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and anti-racism that have gained popularity and attention in liberal institutions. We have some spirited exchanges about infantilization and mental health, internalized prejudice, and what effective DEI could look like. Dr. Smith also shared some compelling personal stories about his experiences speaking up against some of the more wacky ideas in his field. Following this conversation, Manny and Dylan debrief and reflect on some of the things we agreed and disagreed about. Erec Smith @ York College A Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwzpHTdUVuM https://www.uraction.org/ https://twitter.com/Rhetors_of_York Works that Dr. Smith mentioned (with push back): Violence in the Work of Composition Self-presentation in interracial settings: The competence downshift by White liberals. Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Jason Littlefield and Erec Smith are the co-founders of EmpowerED Pathways and Free Black Thought. Jason Littlefield is an educator passionate about personal well-being, establishing a society of individuals at peace within themselves and others. Erec Smith is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania.  Although he has eclectic scholarly interests, Smith's primary focus is on the rhetorics of anti-racist activism, theory, and pedagogy. They join Angela to discuss their vision for a more empowering form of anti-racism, and their desire to decrease current human division while increasing personal well-being by bringing awareness to the impact and intent of the emerging ideology dominating our institutions.

https://youtu.be/b2gsY9me_2E Intellectuals have been particularly prominent among those who have turned the black redneck culture into a sacrosanct symbol of racial identity. This includes both black and white intellectuals, though the latter predominate numerically and in terms of influence through the media and academia. Intellectuals have promoted misconceptions of history, misreadings of contemporary life, and counterproductive notions of how to prepare for the future. - Thomas Sowell, Black Rednecks and White Liberals (p. 52) Erec Smith is the co-founder and co-editor of FBT, Writing Fellow for Heterodox Academy, Associate Professor of Rhetoric, York College of Pennsylvania, author of the 2020 book, A Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment. Free Black Thought: https://www.freeblackthought.com/ Article discussed- How Would Black America Fare if Progressives Got Their Way? Good intentions, bad outcomes BitChute Apple Podcasts Spotify Flote

Erec Smith is the co-founder and co-editor of FBT, Writing Fellow for Heterodox Academy, Associate Professor of Rhetoric, York College of Pennsylvania, author of the 2020 book, A Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment. Free Black Thought: https://www.freeblackthought.com/ How Would Black America Fare if Progressives Got Their Way? Good intentions, bad outcomes: https://freeblackthought.substack.com/p/how-would-black-america-fare-if-progressives ----------------------------------------------------------- The Voluntaryist Handbook: https://libertarianinstitute.org/books/voluntaryist-handbook/ Support the show, PayPal: KeithKnight590@gmail.com or Venmo: @Keith-Knight-34 LBRY / Odysee: https://odysee.com/@KeithKnightDontTreadOnAnyone:b BitChute: KeithKnightDontTreadOnAnyone https://www.bitchute.com/channel/keithknightdonttreadonanyone/ Minds: https://www.minds.com/KeithKnightDontTreadOnAnyone/ GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/an_capitalist MeWe: mewe.com/i/keithknight25 Flote: https://flote.app/VoluntaryistKeith Gab: https://gab.com/Voluntarykeith Twitter: @an_capitalist The Libertarian Institute: https://libertarianinstitute.org/dont-tread-on-anyone/ One Great Work Network: https://www.onegreatworknetwork.com/keith-knight Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/@keithknight13 Locals: https://donttreadonanyone.locals.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mG2QvxJe9TQpJiyrQTqfx

Prof. Smith is an expert in the field of rhetoric. He also happens to be a black man. When he challenged the assumptions of self-professed “anti-racists” in a forum for academics and intellectuals in his field, the mob turned on him – calling him a racist and a proponent of white supremacy. This affair was an experience that eventually led to him helping to form Free Black Thought – an online outlet showcasing the work of heterodox black thinkers.

Prof. Smith is an expert in the field of rhetoric. He also happens to be a black man. When he challenged the assumptions of self-professed “anti-racists” in a forum for academics and intellectuals in his field, the mob turned on him – calling him a racist and a proponent of white supremacy. This affair was an experience that eventually led to him helping to form Free Black Thought – an online outlet showcasing the work of heterodox black thinkers.

ACTA's Steven McGuire sits down in a far reaching conversation with Erec Smith, co-founder and co-editor of Free Black Thought, a small group of citizens, scholars, technologists and parents determined to amplify vital Black voices that are rarely heard on mainstream platforms. Smith is the Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania, and is the author of A Critique of Anti-Racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment.

In this episode I speak with Jason Littlefield and Erec Smith of Free Black Thought (FBT). Jason is a co-founder and co-editor of FBT, educator, Executive Director of EmpowerED Pathways, and designer of Compassionate Humanism, a humanity-centered framework for life, leadership, and learning. Dr. Erec Smith is a co-founder and co-editor of FBT, Writing Fellow for Heterodox Academy, Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania, and author of several books, including most recently "The Lure of Disempowerment: Reclaiming Agency in the Age of CRT" and "A Critique of Anti-Racism in Rhetoric and Composition." Jason and Erec offer an alternative to modern anti-racism that is rooted in self-empowerment, shared values, and interconnectedness. In this episode we discuss how the "victim" narrative is embedded (consciously or not) within the anti-racist approach; how this narrative can seep into interactions and situations we encounter; why the sense of victimhood leads to learned helplessness; how modern antiracism and DEI counterproductively reinforce "othering" instead of focusing on shared humanity; the trap of the oppressed vs. oppressor dynamic; why we must include a relationships with ourselves (in addition to others) in combatting racism; why and how we should focus our identities around shared values rather than biological characteristics, such as skin color; the role of rhetoric and the importance of pragmatism in communication about race; the connection between empowerment and spirituality (e.g., Buddhism); traditional SEL versus transformative SEL; and much more. Links: Jason and Erec's recent article on traditional vs. transformative SEL EmpowerED Pathways Dr. Erec Smith's Amazon page Dr. Goodman's article, "The Middle Way to Racial Equality: The Psychology of Polarization and a More Compassionate Path Forward" Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iVYt57ScrZk Follow Dr. Goodman: Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd Website: https://matthewgoodmanphd.com Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2 If you find this useful, please consider sharing with a friend/loved one, rating or reviewing, or supporting the show : ) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/matthewgoodmanphd/support

It finally happened! A BARPod live show. It was very very fun. If you’d like to talk about it with other BARPod premium subscribers, click here. (MANY thanks to Andy Mills for whipping the audio into publishable form — there was a recording error and it was a mess at first.)Show notes/Links:Heterodox Academy: https://heterodoxacademy.org/Katie on Stuart Reges: https://www.thestranger.com/tech/2018/06/26/28210971/university-of-washington-computer-science-lecturer-explains-why-why-women-dont-code-chaos-ensuesJesse on the CUNY controvery: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/09/a-cuny-student-was-investigated-for-criticizing-israel.htmlJesse on the Lake Washington Institute of Technology controversy: https://reason.com/2021/04/05/a-professor-pushed-back-against-white-fragility-training-the-college-investigated-her-for-9-months/ Erec Smith: https://www.ycp.edu/academics/school-of-the-arts-communication-and-global-studies/faculty/smith-erec.php And on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhetors_of_yorkFree Black Thought: https://www.freeblackthought.com/Image: “Elevated perspective of the Denver metro area and downtown skyline with The Rocky Mountains as a backdrop” via Getty This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.blockedandreported.org/subscribe

In order to learn something new, looking at something from a different perspective can shed some light. Today we are going to “See the world through a different lens” specifically with a new look at “Transformative SEL.”[i] Watch this interview on YouTube here https://youtu.be/dY28tux0tq8   On this episode you will learn: ✔ How Jason Littlefield and Erec Smith of EmpowerED created a Framework for SEL when they noticed something was missing with Transformative SEL. ✔ How they envision empowering educators, youth and communities by strengthening the neural pathways to peace and resilience through mindfulness and social and emotional learning. ✔How you can work with Jason and Erec with their mission. For returning guests, welcome back, and for those who are new here, I'm Andrea Samadi, author, and educator, with a passion for learning, understanding difficult concepts, and breaking them down so that we can all use and apply the most current research to improve our productivity and results in our schools, sports environments, and modern workplaces. On today's EPISODE #222 we are going to look at SEL through a different lens with the work of Jason Littlefield and Erec Smith from EmpowerED Humanity[ii] whose work established in 2017 to provide educators, students, and communities a framework for life, leadership, and learning, focuses on fortifying the individual and increasing societal cooperation with a value-centered identity, human dignity, disrupting mindsets of fear/judgment with inquiry and compassion.  Their Work Has 3 Pathways of Practice That: Build awareness and equanimity (mental calmness) Kindness and compassion towards self and others and Celebrate common humanity, breaking the walls of indignity (or that treatment that causes one to feel shameful). I spoke with Jason prior to our interview, as I know that the podcast guests I have chosen over the past 3 years have been addressing SEL as it relates to our brain and learning, but there was something missing that became apparent to me as we have not yet discussed diversity, equity and inclusion that are all important components of social and emotional learning. THEIR MISSION[iii] Empowering educators, youth and communities by strengthening the neural pathways to peace and resilience through mindfulness and social and emotional learning. Their framework, Empowered Humanity Theory focuses on fortifying the individual and increasing societal cooperation by centering a value-centered identity, human dignity, disrupting mindsets of fear/judgment with inquiry and compassion, and intentionally engaging in 3 Pathways of Practice: Practices that build awareness and equanimity Practices that build kindness and compassion towards self and others Practices that celebrate common humanity, and break the walls of indignity That also includes 3 Attitudes: 1) Establishing a value-centered identity 2) Cultivating mindsets of inquiry/compassion over fear & judgment 3) Navigating self and others with a dignity lens. They believe this framework fills a gap that we need at this moment to inspire us to empower humanity and affect the wellbeing of future generations in profound ways. It's up to us to make the shift. Let's meet Jason Littlefield and Erec Smith, and dive into their Framework to view SEL through the lens of human dignity and our shared humanity, to see where we could expand our awareness and close any existing gaps. INTRO: Welcome Jason and Erec, thank you for coming on the podcast today. Jason, when I saw your email and noticed how long you worked as an SEL Specialist, I thought that there must be something that you noticed was missing with the way that SEL was being implemented into our schools, and like we said in our email correspondence, your vision to empower humanity and affect the wellbeing of future generations in profound ways is important and timely. Before we begin with our questions to dive into this topic, I've got to say first that I was a bit nervous to do this interview, mostly because this is a topic that I've not yet covered on the podcast. I know this is important, and before this interview, I was listening to one of my mentors, Dr. Jeff Rose, a former Superintendent from Atlanta, GA cover the topic of Equity Based Leadership on his most recent podcast and his guest, Joshua Starr, author of the book Equity-Based Leadership: Leveraging Complexity to Transform School Systems mentioned that “equity and social justice are an integral part of any school system's agenda” (Joshua Starr). Can we begin here, and have both of you share what drew you to create a NEW Framework to look at SEL through the lens of human dignity and our shared humanity? How does this relate to an equity-based transformation strategy? What did you notice? Can we look at your solution or the EmpowerED Pathways Approach to SEL? How did you come up with your framework?  3 Pathways of Practice: Practices that build awareness and equanimity Practices that build kindness and compassion towards self and others Practices that celebrate common humanity, and break the walls of indignity That also includes 3 Attitudes: 1) Establishing a value-centered identity 2) Cultivating mindsets of inquiry/compassion over fear & judgment 3) Navigating self and others with a dignity lens. Q1: What would be some examples of the OLD WAY vs THE NEW WAY that prevents flawed thinking? Q2: Who have you shared your model with and what do they say? Have you had any pushback with your “humanity centered framework?”  What are people saying? Q3: What would be some entry points for schools to begin implementing your framework? For people to learn more about your work, is the best place your website www.empoweredpathways.org? UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.empoweredpathways.org/fourthwave-antiracism/progress-4ward-advancing-21st-century-antiracism-with-fourth-wave-antiracism-development-fward Jason Littlefield, M.Ed Jason Littlefield is an educator passionate about personal well-being establishing a society of individuals at peace within themselves and others. He established EmpowerED Pathways in 2017 and co-designed the Empowered Humanity Theory; a framework for life, leadership, and learning. He served as a public educator for twenty-one years in multiple capacities.  From 2014 to 2021 he was a Social and Emotional Learning Specialist for the Austin Independent School District. Jason has also served students and families from around the world, including Taiwan, China, and Benin, Africa. He is an advocate for decreasing our current human division and increasing personal well-being by bringing awareness to the impact and intent of the emerging ideology dominating our institutions and permeating the zeitgeist. He does so through EmpowerED Pathways, Free Black Thought, and The Institute for Liberal Values. Erec Smith, Ph.D. Erec Smith is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. Although he has eclectic scholarly interests, Smith's primary focuses on the rhetorics of anti-racist activism, theory, and pedagogy. He is a co-founder of Free Black Thought, an organization dedicated to highlighting viewpoint diversity within the black intelligentsia. Smith is a member and moderator for Heterodox Academy and sits on the Board of Advisors for both the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism and Counterweight, an organization that advocates for liberal concepts of social justice. In his latest book, A Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment, Smith addresses the detriments of anti-racist rhetoric and writing pedagogy based on identity and prefigurative politics and suggests that a more empowering form of anti-racism be considered. Access Erec Smith's book A Critique of Anti-Racism in Rhetoric and Composition  https://www.amazon.com/Critique-Anti-racism-Rhetoric-Composition-Empowerment/dp/1498590403 REFERENCES: [i] Transformative SEL https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/how-does-sel-support-educational-equity-and-excellence/transformative-sel/ [ii] EmpowerED Pathways https://www.empoweredpathways.org/empoweredhumanitytheory [iii] https://www.empoweredpathways.org/about  

The UnWokable Podcast welcomes Dr. Erec Smith, Professor of Rhetoric at York College, for a discussion on the destructive Rhetorical Intent of Antiracism and DEI. Follow and Support UnWokable: Support:Venmo.com/unwokable YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnWokable UnWokable.substack.com Twitter: @AcsAgainstCRT Facebook: UnWokable Oklahoma --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/unwokable/support

In this episode of Heterodox Out Loud, we're giving our podcast community a first look at the vital conversations to expect at HxA Conference 2022 in Denver this June, as we host a discussion between two of our conference speakers on the crisis of trust in higher education—a central theme in both our upcoming conference and summer programming.Our guests on the show are Kyle Vitale, HxA's Director of Programs and Erec Smith, Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania and co-founder of Free Black Thought, a non-profit that highlights black viewpoint diversity.Before hearing from Kyle and Erec, you'll listen to a blog post on this core topic of HxA Conference 2022: The Trust Crisis in Higher Education. The post features four perspectives from four of our conference speakers:Erec Smith, today's podcast guest and Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of PennsylvaniaHolden Thorp, Editor-in-Chief at the Science family of journals,Shirley Mullen, President Emerita at Houghton CollegeMichael Roth, President of Wesleyan University. Blog post: On The Crisis of Trust in Higher Education For more from our guests, you can follow Erec on Twitter at @Rhetors_of_York, and Kyle at @kylesebvitaleLet us know what you think! For comments and questions email communications@heterodoxacademy.org.This episode was hosted by Zach Rausch, and produced by Davies Content. Heterodox Out Loud is an ongoing series of selected pieces from heterodox: the blog in audio form with exclusive interviews.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Erec Smith. We discuss his field of rhetoric, what led him to it, African-American Vernacular English versus Standard English, the implications of what activists call "linguistic justice," what it's like teaching rhetoric in our polarized climate, the utility of ridiculing bad ideas, interacting with Nikole Hannah-Jones, Candace Owens' "Blexit," and the publication he co-founded called Free Black Thought. Dr. Erec Smith is an associate professor of rhetoric at the College of Pennsylvania, whose focus is in the rhetoric of anti racist activism, theory, and pedagogy. He is also the co-founder of Free Black Thought, a website dedicated to highlighting viewpoint diversity within the black intelligentsia.

Erec Smith, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Rhetoric & Composition at York College of PA joins Tony Kinnett in the Teacher's Lounge to discuss talking across differences in the age of America's culture wars. How can rhetoric be used to arrive at a truth beyond our differences? For other great education videos, articles, reports, op-eds, critiques, and the Teacher's Lounge podcast—head over to www.TheChalkboardReview.com! Chalkboard Review, 2022.

Erec Smith is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College and the Co-Founder and Co-Editor of Free Black Thought. Erec is also an author of online articles and books, including the book "A Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition". **This episode was recorded on October 13, 2021**www.freeblackthought.comErec Smith on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rhetors_of_YorkA Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition: https://amzn.to/3rTeFROtheEWpodcasthttps://ericwhte.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw27qaF6r_XdQrzREV21QSATIMESTAMPS00:00 Introducing Erec Smith11:51 Evolution of Ideas20:13 Acknowledging Problems24:30 Tricks of Language37:00 Learning51:48 Free Black Thought

Hunter and I speak with Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Composition at York College of Pennsylvania, Erec Smith, about race, CRT, getting cancelled, Free Black Thought, and the industry of racism. Free Black Thought: https://www.freeblackthought.com/ You can hear the full episode and get other exclusive content by becoming a Patron starting at $3 a month... Read More

Hunter and I speak with Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Composition at York College of Pennsylvania, Erec Smith, about race, CRT, getting cancelled, Free Black Thought, and the industry of racism. Free Black Thought: https://www.freeblackthought.com/ You can hear the full episode and get other exclusive content by becoming a Patron starting at $3 a month... Read More

Should we cancel the word “cancel”? On this week's On the Media, find out who benefits from the newest culture scare, and a history of "cancellation." Plus, hear how three women reporters covered the Vietnam War against all odds. 1. Michael Hobbes [@RottenInDenmark], co-host of Maintenance Phase, on the anecdotes that fuel "political correctness" and "cancel culture" panics. Listen.  2. Erec Smith [@Rhetors_of_York], associate professor of rhetoric and composition at the York College of Pennsylvania, on his experience being "cancelled" within an academic context. Listen.  3. Clyde McGrady [@CAMcGrady], features writer for The Washington Post, on the derivation and misappropriation of the word "cancelled." Listen. 4. Elizabeth Becker [@Elizbeckerwrite], author of You Don't Belong Here, on how women journalists covered the Vietnam War in groundbreaking ways, and yet were forgotten by history. Listen.

We're living in difficult times. Our nation is increasingly polarized and our campuses are plagued with distrust and fear. As we move into 2022, we share three blogs that we hope will inspire, ease divisions, and cultivate a sense of wonder and humility. Today's episode includes Jonathan Haidt's essay, “True Diversity Requires Generosity of Spirit,” Erec Smith's “A Rhetoric of Common Values,” and a new essay by Angel Parham and David Diener, “How Our Fraught History Can Still be the Source of Unity.”This episode was hosted by Zach Rausch. For comments and questions email communications@heterodoxacademy.org.

Dr Erec Smith is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania. Although he has eclectic scholarly interests, Dr Smith's primary focus is on the rhetorics of anti-racist activism, theory, and pedagogy. He is a co-founder of Free Black Thought, a website dedicated to highlighting viewpoint diversity within the black intelligentsia. Dr Smith is a Writing Fellow for Heterodox Academy, a Senior Fellow for the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism and an advisor for Counterweight, an organization that advocates for classical liberal concepts of social justice. In his latest book, A Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment, Dr Smith addresses the detriments of anti-racist rhetoric and writing pedagogy based on current manifestations of social justice. Links....... Book https://www.amazon.com/Critique-Anti-racism-Rhetoric-Composition-Empowerment/dp/1498590403 (A Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment)  Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rhetors_of_York (@Rhetors_of_York ) https://www.freeblackthought.com/ (www.freeblackthought.com) Audio and video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fez0cN_FhoM (A Critique of Anti-Racism in Rhetoric and Composition) https://heterodoxacademy.org/blog/a-rhetoric-of-common-values/ (A Rhetoric of Common Values) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIY8V2JzylA (Counterweight Connects with Erec Smith) Music: Kyrie from Bach B Minor Mass conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner Buy it here: https://music.apple.com/gb/album/mass-in-b-minor-bwv-232-cum-sancto-spiritu/1053521016

Host Toby Davis sits down with Erec Smith, co-founder of Free Black Thought, to discuss his original path as a mild-mannered professor of rhetoric with interest in the confluence of rhetorical theory and Buddhist philosophy all the way to his time now in the fight against “The Great Awokening”. Erec tells us what key event changed his path and even caused him to alter his book at the time. The near complete shift became his 2020 book “A Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition”. Erec sheds light on Critical Race Theory regarding what points are based in truth and thought and which parts have been stolen and transformed. We also discuss Empowerment Theory (the helpful kind), Led Zeppelin, and Jay Cutler. Look for Erec's co-authored new book in 2022 covering disempowerment and empowerment. To hear more guests like Erec and even bonus content, consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/unitynow Connect with Erec Smith below: www.freeblackthought.comhttps://twitter.com/Rhetors_of_YorkLook up “Empowered Pathways” on GoogleTo learn more about the Podcast, visit:https://www.unitynowpodcast.comMake sure to like and subscribe to UnityNow! to get weekly content about the Unity movement!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnityNowPodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/UnityNowPodcast?s=20Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unitynowpodcast#UnityNow #ErecSmith #FreeBlackThought #CriticalRaceTheory #EmpowermentTheory

Blacks who don't adopt the doctrines of victimhood or critical social justice erode the narrative promoted by woke activists, Erec Smith, a professor of rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania and co-founder of Free Black Thought, says. “The illogic that is inherent in a lot of anti-racist activism ... is absurd," Smith says.Smith doesn't like how The New York Times' 1619 Project, authored by Nikole Hannah-Jones, only has furthered division within the nation.As a professor of rhetoric, Smith, who is black and the author of “A Critique of Anti-Racism in Rhetoric and Composition: the Semblance of Empowerment,” says he is concerned that anti-racist dogma contains “no sincere attempt to persuade” but is instead “an attempt to intimidate." Smith joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” from the Parents Unite conference in Boston on Oct. 1 to discuss why blacks who oppose critical race theory are being “erased.” Smith also explains what he would talk about discuss Ibram X Kendi, author of “How to Be an Antiracist,” if he were given the opportunity. We also cover these stories:Democrats move to slash their $3.5 trillion social spending bill to $2 trillion. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announces that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, no longer will conduct worksite raids.Eleven state-level school board groups put distance between themselves and a National School Boards Association letter to President Joe Biden asking for federal authorities to investigate parents. Enjoy the show! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Blacks who don't adopt the doctrines of victimhood or critical social justice erode the narrative promoted by woke activists, Erec Smith, a professor of rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania and co-founder of Free Black Thought, says.   “The illogic that is inherent in a lot of anti-racist activism … is absurd,” Smith says.   […]

Dr. Debra Soh is joined by Professor Erec Smith (York College of Pennsylvania) to discuss so-called linguistic justice in education, ethnomathmatics, being politically homeless, Clarence Thomas, and how to build a new academia.  Get “The End of Gender” at DrDebraSoh.com (Paperback now available; FREE on Audible) Follow Dr. Soh @DrDebraSoh  Support: patreon.com/drdebrasoh  Follow Erec Smith @Rhetors_of_York  Watch Dr. Soh on Yannis Pappas' show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD3l09giIWw  © 2021 Dr. Debra Soh

Michael Berry talks about the mental decline of President Joe Biden, and he questions who is really pulling the strings in the White House; Hogan Gidley, former White House Deputy Press Secretary, joins the show to discuss the new voting laws in Texas; Josh Hammer, opinion editor for Newsweek, makes an appearance to talk about a potential Biden impeachment; Dr. Alveda King, former member of Georgia's House of Representatives, speaks with Berry about the launch of her new pro-life organization “Speak for Life”; Erec Smith, co-founder and co-editor of Free Black Thought, joins the show to discuss Critical Race Theory.

Ibram is Here to Help            Today:   Ibram X. Kendi has made a lot of money off Critical Race Theory and says he can diagnose racism that you can't deny you have.  Then, David Daleiden, founder and president of the Center for Medical Progress claims the University of Pittsburgh admits to harvesting kidneys from unborn babies while their hearts are still beating.  Finally, Erec Smith of the City Journal shares the experience of being a conservative black in academia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Critical Race Theory, or CRT, is everywhere all of a sudden. Having made its way from academia to K-12 education, it came to the attention of the Trump Administration last year and quickly became a bogeyman of the political right. From there, state legislatures began crafting bills that would ban the "divisive concepts" allegedly embedded in CRT-based curriculum. But the bills have only added to public confusion over what CRT really means and partisan media coverage has whipped up the whole debate into something resembling a moral panic. _   Dr. Erec Smith is a professor of Rhetoric and Composition at York College of Pennsylvania and has written extensively about race and its role in pedagogy and public debate. He talked with Meghan about the origins of CRT, when it can be useful, how it's often misapplied and, above all, how most of what's got people so upset these days has little to do with CRT in the first place.     Guest Bio: Erec Smith is an Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania and focuses primarily on the rhetorics of anti-racist activism, theory, and pedagogy. He is a co-founder of Free Black Thought, a website dedicated to highlighting viewpoint diversity within the black intelligentsia. His latest book is A Critique of Anti-racism in Rhetoric and Composition: The Semblance of Empowerment.

In the Hold my Drink — navigating culture with a chaser of civility, and Counterweight podcast, Episode 37, we speak with Erec Smith and Jason Littlefield. Both Erec and Jason are working to introduce empowerment and compassionate humanism back into education. The theory of empowerment, which takes a tiered approach to social and emotional learning starting with the individual, has recently been subsumed in anti-racist pedagogy that focuses on group identity at its foundation. This focus on the group segregates us making it harder to see ourselves in each other. It has also led to a mistrust of liberal values such as individualism, freedom of speech and deliberative democracy, promoting the destruction of current systems to usher in a new framework for social interaction and governance. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a virgin vodka with lime (aka water), bourbon, Gatorade & coffee. To read a recap of the conversation and additional thoughts, and to see what we are each reading, visit our post Empowerment & Indvidualism on the Hold my Drink website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.

Educators across the country are condemning a “Dismantling Racism in Mathematics” program that encourages teachers to not push students to find the right answers to math problems based on the notion that it promotes white supremacy. Erec Smith, a professor of rhetoric and composition at York College of Pennsylvania and co-founder of Free Black Thought, said, “the workbook's ultimate message is clear: Black kids are bad at math, so why don't we just excuse them from really learning it.” Prof. Smith joins Dan to discuss.

After a young Associated Press journalist lost her job last month following online attacks, On the Media considers how bad faith campaigns against the media have become an effective weapon for the far right. Plus, should we cancel the word “cancel”? One journalist argues, yes, and one academic says, no. Plus, the origins of "cancelled" in Black culture.  1. OTM reporter Micah Loewinger [@MicahLoewinger] on the A.P.'s firing of Emily Wilder, and how newsrooms can learn to respond to right-wing smears without firing valued journalists. Listen.  2. Michael Hobbes [@RottenInDenmark], co-host of You're Wrong About, on the anecdotes that fuel "political correctness" and "cancel culture" panics. Listen.  3. Erec Smith [@Rhetors_of_York], associate professor of rhetoric and composition at the York College of Pennsylvania, on his experience being "cancelled" within an academic context. Listen.  4. Clyde McGrady [@CAMcGrady], features writer for The Washington Post, on the derivation and misappropriation of the word "cancelled." Listen.    Music from this week's show: Main Title, Ragtime - Randy Newman What’s that Sound?  - Thomas Newman Middlesex Times - Michael AndrewsBubble Wrap - Thomas NewmanBlues: La Dolce Vita dei Nobili - Nino RotaBubble Wrap - Thomas NewmanYou Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate

For the first time on Choralosophy, I have written a blog to accompany the podcast episode! This post is not specific to music or musicians. But, as with many topics, we are all trying to navigate a rapidly changing social landscape. I think, write and speak quite a bit about how the quality of conversation … Continue reading "A Rhetorical Analysis of Toxic Discourses with Dr. Erec Smith"

For the first time on Choralosophy, I have written a blog to accompany the podcast episode! This post is not specific to music or musicians. But, as with many topics, we are all trying to navigate a rapidly changing social landscape. I think, write and speak quite a bit about how the quality of conversation … Continue reading "A Rhetorical Analysis of Toxic Discourses with Dr. Erec Smith"

For the first time on Choralosophy, I have written a blog to accompany the podcast episode! This post is not specific to music or musicians. But, as with many topics, we are all trying to navigate a rapidly changing social landscape. I think, write and speak quite a bit about how the quality of conversation … Continue reading "A Rhetorical Analysis of Toxic Discourses with Dr. Erec Smith"

Erec Smith is an accomplished professor of Rhetoric and Composition at York College or Pennsylvania and has written several books on the subject including a critique of Critical Race Theory where he instead promotes empowerment theory—which promotes individual, communal, and strategic efficacy rather than the "primacy of identity".  Will and Erec discuss his upbringing and background as well as specific trends he is seeing and why they are so dangerous.

Erec Smith is an accomplished professor of Rhetoric and Composition at York College or Pennsylvania and has written several books on the subject including a critique of Critical Race Theory where he instead promotes empowerment theory—which promotes individual, communal, and strategic efficacy rather than the "primacy of identity".  Will and Erec discuss his upbringing and background as well as specific trends he is seeing and why they are so dangerous.

Political polarization has become a defining feature of modern American life. Research surrounding the 2020 election from Pew Research Center demonstrated that - a month before the election, roughly eight-in-ten registered voters in both [left and right] camps said their differences with the other side were about core American values, and roughly nine-in-ten worried that a victory by their opponents would lead to ‘lasting harm' to the United States. In this episode of Heterodox Out Loud, we meet Erec Smith, Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania, who is trying to heal America's deep divisions through, well of course, Rhetoric and the understanding of Discourse. His piece is called, “A Rhetoric of Common Values.” To engage deeper with Smith's ideas, check out our related posts “Don't Dismiss Debate” by Meg Mott, “Reducing Political Polarization Through Campus Dialogues,” by Matt Burgess and Jeremiah Osborne-Gowey, and “Both Sides Now: From Debate to Dialogue” by Deb Mashek and Judith Shapiro. For comments and questions email communications@heterodoxacademy.org. This episode was hosted by Zach Rausch. The artwork was inspired by Smith's piece and was created by Lexi Polokoff. You can follow her on Instagram @lexipolokoffart.

Since the death of George Floyd in May of 2020, calls for racial justice have spread rapidly throughout the United States and beyond. As they search for solutions to the deeply complex issues around race in America, many schools, organizations, and corporations have embraced the ideas of best selling author, Ibram X. Kendi, whose best known for his book, "How to Be an Antiracist." In the spirit of exploring diverse viewpoints, we bring you a blog by Jeffrey Aaron Snyder, Associate Professor of Educational Studies at Carleton College. The piece is called “Why Ibram Kendi's Antiracism is So Flawed.” To engage deeper with Snyder's ideas, check out our related posts “To be Sensible About Race is ‘Not Blaming the Victim'” by John McWhorter, “On the Authority of Experience in Black Thought by Randall Kennedy,” and “The Importance of Intrapersonal Empowerment in American Race Race Relations” by Erec Smith. Stay up to date with Jeff on Twitter @JeffreyASnyder. For comments and questions email communications@heterodoxacademy.org. This episode was hosted by Zach Rausch. The artwork was inspired by Snyder's piece and was created by Lexi Polokoff. You can follow her on Instagram @lexipolokoffart.

For the past few months at Heterodox Academy, we've been focusing on the contributions of Black scholars, the diversity of perspectives among them, and the tensions around representation in institutions of higher learning. In this episode, we bring to you Randall Kennedy, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and his blog piece “On the Authority of Experience in Black thought.” To engage deeper with Kennedy's ideas, check out our related posts “To be Sensible About Race is ‘Not Blaming the Victim'” by John McWhorter, “Arguments for and Against Capitalism in the Black Intellectual Tradition” by Fabio Rojas, and “The Importance of Intrapersonal Empowerment in American Race Race Relations” by Erec Smith. For comments and questions email communications@heterodoxacademy.org. This episode was hosted by Zach Rausch. The artwork was inspired by Randall's piece and was created by Lexi Polokoff. You can follow her on Instagram @lexipolokoffart.

Erec Smith is a professor of rhetoric at York University. Follow him on twitter @Rhetors_of_York Read about "entomathematics" here: https://johnmcwhorter.substack.com/p/is-it-racist-to-expect-black-kids Support this channel: https://www.paypal.me/benjaminboyce

Erec Smith Associate Professor of Rhetoric at York College Pennsylvania is my guest - Toward Anarchy

I speak with Professor Erec Smith (@Rhetors_of_York) about how the field of rhetoric is being taken over by a loud minority which has no problem silencing a black man for the cause of antiracism. We also speak about his experience with racism and why critical thinking is his jam. Erec's articles: https://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2020/08/skin-folk-arent-always-kin-folk-opinion.html   https://www.newsweek.com/why-i-still-talk-white-people-about-racism-opinion-1516309   Erec's book:   https://www.amazon.com/dp/1498590403/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_PXDkFbFW0QYAY   Support this channel: https://www.paypal.me/benjaminboyc