Black professor regrets comments critical of white students

[sorghum]

http://news.yahoo.com/boston-university-criticizes-black-professors-racial-tweets-202124508.html

BOSTON (AP) — An incoming Boston University professor who called “white college males” a “problem population” and was publicly criticized by the university’s president said on Tuesday she regrets making the remarks.

Black sociology professor Saida Grundy, who completed her doctorate at the University of Michigan last year, had declared on her now-private Twitter account that “white masculinity is THE problem for America’s colleges.”

In other recent tweets, she said, “Deal with your white (expletive), white people. slavery is a (asterisk)YALL(asterisk) thing,” and “Every MLK week I commit myself to not spending a dime in white-owned businesses. And every year I find it nearly impossible.”

Of course, the usual non-apology:

“I regret that my personal passion about issues surrounding these events led me to speak about them indelicately,” she said in a statement. “I deprived them of the nuance and complexity that such subjects always deserve.”

[riverbirch]

She has no business ever setting foot in front of students and BU should not go forward with the hire with this type of racism. No rational student should ever sign up to be educated by such a racist person.

[cosmicfish]

That’s one data point - are there any others? Was this part of a pattern that suggests bad treatment of her students, or a moment of stupidity for someone with some genuine (asterisk) concerns?

[bevhills]

Let’s take out the white and insert Asian, Black, Moslem. How long would this professor have their job?

Oh, whoops…gone already.

[Bay]

I cannot imagine any white, and especially white male students intentionally enrolling in her courses. But if she is an Af-Am Studies prof, that may not be a problem.

[BunsenBurner]

“Every MLK week I commit myself to not spending a dime in white-owned businesses. And every year I find it nearly impossible.”"

She is welcome to move west. There are Asian or Hispanic-owned businesses here. Not hard to find. Or maybe they don’t suit her agenda either?

[coolweather]

^ Please don’t ask her to move to California. We have enough racial segregation here.

[GMTplus7]

An incoming Boston University professor…
Black sociology professor Saida Grundy, who completed her doctorate at the University of Michigan last year…

Let’s see if she gets tenure.

[mom2collegekids]

<<
“Every MLK week I commit myself to not spending a dime in white-owned businesses. And every year I find it nearly impossible.”"

[QUOTE=""]

[/QUOTE]

Doing this is just weird. The fact that every year (at least for presumably awhile), she even thinks this way just screams having a racist core. It just screams, “ugh! them!”

That said, why not be more positive and think, “I’m going to try to patronize more minority-owned businesses, particularly new businesses, to help them stay in business.” ?

[Parent1337]

Unbelievable that she starts work again on July 1st. How is it possible that she keeps her job? How is it possible that she has any teaching job ever again?

“Racism extends to virtually every institution in American society — including higher education,” the petition reads. “Calling Professor Grundy’s tweets racist minimizes the very real effects of racism for people of color in the United States.”

What?

[HarvestMoon1]

I think white male students will refuse to enroll in her courses which is understandable. So maybe the problem will solve itself. No use having a professor on staff if half the population won’t sign up for her classes.

[Consolation]

@Parent1337, didn’t you know that it is impossible for a person of color to be racist, since racism=power structure? Handy, right? /sarcasm

Seriously, she is undoubtedly reacting out of anger at the very real effects of racism we see in such events as police shootings of black men. But she has pretty much declared open enmity for all white people, regardless of their individual behavior or convictions. Where do you go from there?

[partyof5]

I keep saying this, we are in the age where everything is documented and recorded. Normally its kids, then you have this instance, and I am amazed she still has a job. Fair is fair, if a white person had said it, he would be fired, so should she.

[coolweather]

I thought a PhD in sociology would understand more about the current issue in Baltimore and would be able to control anger instead of stirring hate.

[LakeWashington]

Sociologists are on record for saying quite nutty things from time-to-time; no surprise there. And I have not the slightest doubt that there are bigots among the ranks of college professors. Again, nothing new. If Boston University sees fit to give her the heave ho, well that’s not unexpected either.

[bevhills]

Just a note: California segregated? I don’t know where you live but where I live we are very integrated. On our street we are in the minority…white Jewish and WASP. We have a former football star r(and family)r, biracial families, Moslems, Persians…Korean…we are not a Welcome Neighbor kind of place. But we see each other and nod hello. If a dog gets out we bring them home…If we have an earthquake I do run over to make sure that our older widowed ladies are ok…

And no, this is not a “some of my best friends…” moment

[Lergnom]

What bothers me is the content of the non-apology: she essentially says she’s passionate and thus is prone to say a bunch of offensive things … which is the same excuse used by lousy white people who say terrible things about blacks and lousy people who say terrible things about Jews or Muslims, etc. She doesn’t show an actual understanding of what she’s saying.

[MichiganGeorgia]

@Lergnom -I think she knows exactly what she is saying…

[Shrinkrap]

Isn’t there some statistic about white males on college campuses that gets quoted here on CC? Could "“white college males” as a “problem population” be some “indelicate” way of saying that?

I also don’t think of boycotting as the same as saying “Ugh! Them!” Wait…I mean I have a FRIEND who doesn’t think that. I agree that “I’m going to try to patronize more minority-owned businesses, particularly new businesses, to help them stay in business.” is better, but it would take a lot more days to make an impact. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

[Barfly]

“I deprived them of the nuance and complexity that such subjects always deserve.”

Ah, yes, just what we need in higher education: professors who are unable to convey nuance and complexity.