White Students Barred from ‘Womxn of Colour’ Retreat at Iowa State University

White students at Iowa State University are barred from an upcoming “Womxn of Color” retreat that has the support of faculty.

The “Womxn of Colour” retreat, which is set to take place in April, is described as “a one-day event open to all women of color students on campus.”

Bria Felix, the president of the Womxn of Colour network, told the Iowa State Daily, “This retreat is very special to our executive board because usually it is planned by an entire faculty team,” signaling that the racially exclusive event is supported by faculty members. 

Meanwhile, a university website states, “The Womxn of Colour Network (WOCN) was established in 2011 to support womxn students of colour at Iowa State.” 

The site also explains:

The Womxn of Colour Network Retreat is a signature program supported by the Margaret Sloss Center for Women and Gender Equity in partnership with the Office for Multicultural Student Affairs, the Womxn of Colour Network student organization, as well as other campus advocates, student groups, and departments.

In addition to the retreat, the WOCN hosted a “WOC Meet and Greet” last semester, the description stating, “Women of color faculty, students, staff, and post-docs are invited to network, fellowship, and learn about opportunities to be involved with the 2023 Women of Color Retreat.”

Other events barring white students from participation have recently occurred at different universities. The University of Minnesota’s Multicultural Center, for example, hosted “student of color” fitness classes, where students could “take up space in places historically known to be predominantly white.” One such event is called the “BIPOC Community Climb Day.”

At Michigan State University, an education conference hosted race-based affinity groups, which kept “white folx” separate from “people of color.” 

This type of racial exclusion is not only happening at the college level, however. An investigation from Breitbart News found that a former diversity director at Maryvale Preparatory, an all-girls Catholic school in Maryland, claimed that “BIPOC students” must be protected from the “white gaze.” She added that “BIPOC spaces are sacred.” 

Meanwhile, white students at an elementary school in Olympia, Washington were excluded from a “BIPOC Mentor Group.”

Spencer Lindquist is a reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerLndqst and reach out at slindquist@breitbart.com