Anti-safe-space rhetoric ‘ignores trauma felt by black students’

Do we perhaps need to separate physical safety from intellectual or emotional safety? Students should be able to feel physically safe in learning spaces - and this is ALL students not just those who happen to be black - but their education requires the development of a certain toughness intellectually and emotionally. Yes, they need to be supported in developing it, we shouldn't just assume that they all can cope from the off, but they need to develop the ability to deal with challenging ideas without squealing as soon as their own opinions are the ones being challenged.

I'm sure there are other 'traumas' too - female trauma, working class trauma, all sorts of vulnerable groups. Either we cater for them all (at what cost) or we do what was always the case and expect students to start standing on the8ir own 2 feet.

Very glad to see this book coming out at a time when students, teachers, librarians, and administrators must work hard to protect both free speech and safety in academic communities. Prof Noel takes a tough but balanced look at campus policies in relation to social pressures in violent and confusing times. Grateful for his clear thinking, rich narrative, wise perspective, and honest discussion of difficult issues.