Mathematics association declares math is racist

Barrett Wilson:

The Mathematical Association of America released a statement Friday claiming both that mathematicians should engage in “uncomfortable conversations” about race, and that policies of from the Trump administration, like the lack of a mask mandate in the United States, are somehow an affront to mathematics. The group concludes with a call for a “pursuit of justice” within math.

“Thanks to science and mathematics, we understand now that masks, social distancing, frequent, rapid, mass testing, and contact tracing are all fundamental to keep our communities safer during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the association wrote.

“Yet policies at the federal level have not consistently reflected these facts; for example, choosing not to incorporate a mask-mandate in the US has had serious consequences.”

The statement called out several specific recent actions taken by the federal government, including President Trump’s executive order banning government trainings on “critical race theory” and “white privilege.”

It also called out the fact that the Department of Education launched an investigation into Princeton University after the university publicly condemned itself of being rife with racism “embedded in structures” of the university. The group says this action “weaponized” the statement from Princeton administration.