Victor Davis Hanson on Sacramento State President's Divisive 'Eliminate Whiteness' Comments

Dr. Wood's Controversial Statement

• 💡 Victor Davis Hanson revisits the comments made by Dr. Luke Wood, president of Sacramento State, who stated his intention to “eliminate whiteness.”
• 🎯 Hanson emphasizes that such language from a university leader is divisive and inappropriate for a multi-racial democracy.
• ⚠️ The core issue is the racialist and divisive nature of Wood's past statements, which have resurfaced and gained traction online.

Addressing University Corrections

• 🔍 Hanson addresses several points of correction sent by Sacramento State regarding his previous commentary.
• 🗺️ He clarifies that he never stated Sacramento State was in the same city as UC Davis, only that they were near each other (20 miles apart).
• 🎓 Regarding the university's claim of being the only public university in the world's fourth-largest economy, Hanson points out the existence of 23 CSU universities and 9 UC universities.
• 🗓️ He acknowledges a minor confusion between San Diego State University and UC San Diego but dismisses the university's focus on minor inaccuracies as a distraction.

The 'Race Lighting' Terminology

• 🗣️ Hanson discusses Dr. Wood's coining of the term “race lighting,” which he contrasts with his own use of “blacklighting.”
• 🧠 Wood's theory suggests adopting specific vocabulary and messaging tailored only to Black people, implying they deserve a special discourse.
• 🧩 Hanson views “race lighting” and “black lighting” as a distinction without a difference, both serving to create divisive language.

Broader Implications and Responsibility

• 🏛️ Hanson argues that as president of a major public university, Dr. Wood has a responsibility to be disinterested and treat all individuals as people, not defined by race.
• 📢 He finds it dangerous for a university president to engage in racially divisive language, regardless of when the comments were made (2017 vs. recently).
• ✅ Hanson suggests Dr. Wood should retract his statement, apologize, and acknowledge that “whiteness” is a vague and polarizing term with no place on a campus, especially from its leader.