Free speech and multiculturalism at NC State

(photos via Nubian Message, CNN, KayDee Gawlik from Technician, Kai Anthony from Technician, NCSU Libraries archive, Win McNamee via Getty Images, mediadrumworld.com, Evelyn Hockstein via Getty Images / graphic by Carter Pape)

Reggie Barnes oversees the Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT), which was launched earlier this year as a means of recording and responding to incidents of bias at NC State.

Responding to incidents of bias introduces a central tension for NC State administrators who value the constitutional tenant of protecting free speech, as this speech may sometimes undermines other missions of the university, particularly that of creating an inclusive campus environment.

In this episode Barnes talks about how the university responds to incidents of bias, what the consequences of using racially derisive language are at NC State, his experiences as an undergraduate at a university where he was in the minority, and how to create better environments for discussing topics related to race.

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