The University of Michigan has apologized for its framing of two online events that appeared to have been segregated by race, saying their initial descriptions were misleading.
The University of Michigan satellite campus in Dearborn, Mich., held two cafe-style seminars, one for white students and another for students of color. Both seminars, hosted by the Center for Social Justice and Inclusion, were billed as a space for students to discuss their experience as a given racial identity on campus. One was entitled "BIPOC Cafe" and the other "Non-POC Cafe." Both events took place at the same time.
The school now claims that neither event was intended to exclude individuals of any race.
"UM-Dearborn sincerely regrets the terms used to describe the 'cafe' events held on September 8," a UM-Dearborn spokeswoman told the Washington Free Beacon. "The terms used to describe these virtual events and descriptions themselves were not clear and not reflective of the university's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion."
According to the university, the event for students of color was originally intended to provide a meeting space for students from marginalized communities to discuss their experiences on campus. The event for white students was intended to deepen their understanding of race and racism "without harming or relying on students of color to educate them."
After a tweet noted the events' segregated appearance, the university took down public access to the event page and published an apology letter.
The school's Center for Social Justice and Inclusion did not respond to requests for comment.