David Barnhizer "Conformity Colleges"; Wokeism / CRT Killed Intellectual Freedom

Today's academic landscape has shifted dramatically. David Barnhizer, Professor of Law Emeritus at Cleveland State University with law degrees from Ohio State and Harvard, highlights the deliberate transformation of colleges into conformity machines. Barnhizer, a veteran of the university system, began his career in legal services, representing low-income clients and teaching the "Economics of Poverty." He has held various teaching and consulting positions, both in the U.S. and internationally, including work with governments and NGOs on environmental and legal issues.

Once bastions of critical thinking, universities now churn out students indoctrinated with political agendas. Critical legal studies, once about intellectual growth, evolved into critical race theory, spreading through academia like a "war of attrition." This infiltration of ideology into education has led to what Barnhizer calls the "capture of the university system." He asserts, "What we now refer to as the Woke/Critical Race Theory activist movement...were not simply seeking to expand the nature and content of the university curriculum...Their intent was and is to destabilize, transform, and supplant what is taught."

In his book *Conformity Colleges*, Barnhizer explains how Wokeism and Critical Race Theory have not simply expanded university curricula but are designed to destabilize education, prioritizing political agendas over intellectual discourse. "The activists of the Woke/Critical Race Theory Movement are not an honest intellectual movement," Barnhizer states. Under the guise of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), universities have become platforms for "Division, Enmity, and Intimidation," suppressing free speech and dissent. "Nothing of significance can be done to stop what is going on unless the DEI administrative bureaucracy that now controls universities is dismantled or substantially weakened," he warns.

"Shut up is never an answer" rings true in this era of cancel culture, yet dissenting voices are routinely silenced. The traditional ideals of education—critical thinking, open discourse, and intellectual rigor—have been replaced by political indoctrination. Barnhizer notes that hiring practices in academia now favor political leanings over merit. "The revolutionaries of race, gender, and other radical interests metamorphosed...and revealed themselves as ideological dictators," he observes. Those brought in to teach are often chosen for their adherence to specific ideologies, rather than their academic qualifications.

Barnhizer also underscores the issue of universities' long-term strategy to control not only higher education but also K-12 systems. Teachers and administrators trained in these conformity colleges perpetuate the cycle, ensuring that future generations are shaped by the same narrow ideologies. "They seek to create a culture that elevates their interests while aggressively repressing anything they see as an obstacle to power," he explains. The infiltration is deep, and the stakes are high.

The shift is clear. As you’ve said, "They pretend to educate, and students pretend to learn," a sentiment reflecting the transactional nature of today's education. College degrees have become credentials, stripped of real intellectual value. Barnhizer argues that the only way to address this decay is to break the system and reform it. Many private institutions are already crumbling, as fewer students see the value in a politically charged, overpriced education.

Stopping the funding, as some states are doing, defunding DEI programs, and encouraging alternative education paths may provide a solution. "The power to use the university as an overarching medium that offers a strong sense of legitimacy to even flawed and overstated arguments is why the institution is a target of an ideological Left," Barnhizer notes. Institutions must get back to a business model that reflects real value, or parallel systems will emerge that bypass the academic industrial complex entirely.