Cornell course teaches black holes can be linked to ‘racial blackness’

Cornell University has introduced an astronomy course examining the relationship between the term black holes and “racial blackness” — evidence, critics say, that even hard science is not immune to global “racial hysteria.”

The course, titled Black Holes: Race and the Universe, uses the work of black study theorists, artists, and fiction writers to challenge “conventional wisdom” about the role race plays in astronomy.

Conventional wisdom says that “black” in black holes has nothing to do with race. Certainly there can be no connection between the universe and the idea of ​​racial blackness. Could it be there? ” is reading University catalog description:.

Students at an Ivy League school learn that lectures, music, and art “implicitly and explicitly presuppose such an association,” the description says.

The description reads: “Theorists use astronomical concepts such as ‘black hole’ and ‘event horizons’ to interpret the history of race in creative ways, while artists and musicians evoke the color black through cosmic themes and images.”

Taught by Professor of Astronomy Nicholas Battaglia and Professor of Comparative Literature Parisa Waziri, the course will refer to works by authors such as Octavia Butler and Nalo Hopkinson, as well as music by Sun Ra, The Outcast and Janelle Mooney.

The course will also draw on teachings from theorists such as Michael Wright and Denis Ferreira da Silva.

However, the course has been criticized by some who see it as the latest example of “ethnic hysteria” sweeping across college campuses.

“If you want to know how the Ivy League came to be, they ask at Cornell University whether ‘black holes’ are racist,” One Twitter user wrote:.

Different addedThe term “black hole” has nothing to do with race or skin color. In fact, the Cornell University course will likely do more harm than good.”

“Even hard science is no longer immune to persistent racial hysteria,” A third user wrote on Twitter.