Comment on “A Special Topic Class in Chemistry on Feminism and Science as a Tool to Disrupt the Dysconcious Racism in STEM”

In 2023, Reyes et al. published “A Special Topic Class in Chemistry on Feminism and Science as a Tool to Disrupt the Dysconcious Racism in STEM” ( J. Chem. Educ. 2023, 100, 112−117). In this commentary, we provide criticism on the following points: (1) the claim this course can “dismantle White Supremacy in Chemistry” in the absence of valid evidence that “White Supremacy” exists in chemistry, (2) the paucity of content directly related to chemistry and evangelization of a sociological perspective amounting to political indoctrination, and (3) the inclusion of a flawed, statistically meaningless evaluation methodology for the course. It is our opinion that this course and those like it, which substitute dogma in place of cultivating critical, independent analytical skills, fail STEM students. It is our further opinion that this publication has failed to conform to the standards of the JCE, which requires validated and reliable evaluation methods, meaningful data analysis, and relevant content with clear unambiguous course objectives.