Netizens went into a tizzy, after a racially triggering clip—showing an Oklahoma State University teaching assistant refusing to teach Spanish because she is White— made the rounds online.
Jessica Bridges, a young and promising academician, was due to receive her doctorate degree in Social Foundations of Education sometime in 2021, despite there being no clarity as to whether she completed her coursework. Bridges holds a Master's Degree in Spanish Language, Literature and Culture from the University of Northern Iowa in 2013. She had previously taught Spanish at Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky from 2004-2014.
She dropped the communally triggering remark during the Southern Connecticut State University's 2021 Virtual Women's and Gender Studies Conference. “Racism originates with and is perpetuated by white people,” said Bridges at the Conference in the video, further adding that “White isn't right.” What’s more, the academician reportedly vowed to confront her "internalized white supremacy" by not teaching Spanish, as reported on Fox News.
“Learning Spanish from a White woman, I wish I could go back and tell my students not to learn power or correctness from this White woman,” said Bridges. “Dismantling white supremacy in society looks like dismantling in my heart first. It means I'm not going to teach Spanish,” she added.
While Bridges was yet to revert to the media outlet in time for publication, OSU spokesperson Shannon Rigsby clarified that Bridges does not currently teach classes and is not scheduled to teach in the fall, further adding how it’s been over two years as she last taught in the fall in 2019. “Oklahoma State University encourages all students to pursue the career of their choice regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity. The opinions expressed by this student are her own and do not reflect the views of the university,” Rigsby added.
SCSU spokesman Patrick Dilger further alleged that the comments made by Bridges were reflective of her personal views and beliefs, and nothing else. “This was a faculty member from another institution giving her personal views during a virtual conference hosted by Southern,” he added, directing further inquiries to Oklahoma State.
