According to a report by The Telegraph, Professor Kathryn Yusoff contends that the field of geology is driven by “systemic racism” and has roots in colonialism. In her book, Geologic Life, which focuses on geology from the 17th to the 19th century, Yusoff claims that the extraction of precious metals like gold and iron are entwined with colonial history, contributing to environmental destruction and racial hierarchies.
She argues that geology emerged as a “colonial practice” that resulted in "white supremacy of the planet," leading to what she terms “geotrauma.” Moreover, Yusoff asserts that these issues persist, writing that “geology continues to function within a white supremacist praxis" and that the field of study has been "radicalized."
"To tell a story of rocks is to account for a eugenic materialism in which white supremacy made surfaces built on racialised underground,” she wrote.
Yusoff’s claims have sparked reactions amid a broader movement in academia to “decolonize” courses and address perceived biases in traditional disciplines. Activists believe that many academic fields reflect and perpetuate Western-centric views and power structures. However, critics have pushed back against the claims.
Dr. John Armstrong, a reader in financial mathematics at King’s College London, is among those voicing skepticism. “The programme of decolonisation is politically contentious, anti-scientific, and consistently associated with calls to lower academic standards,” he argued, per the Telegraph.
“Many university departments have resisted the pressure to dumb-down and politicise their courses, but university leaders and their equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) teams continue to demand that courses are decolonised,” Armstrong added.
