When is nuance and complexity ever conveyed on Twitter?
And how does a professional lose sight of the fact that Twitter rants are “out there” in public, not private messages to your friends?
Seems to me a compassionate, empathetic, well educated person might recognize our history of human ignorances for what they are/were…ignorance.
Wouldn’t it be really cool if some/many Americans and other free people were willing to recognize and accept that mankind, aka the human species, is constantly evolving, learning from our ignorance and taking affirmative steps to correct the ignorances some or many humans embrace?
Sadly, slavery and racism are human ignorances that many humans once embraced and encouraged.
Sadly, today there are Americans who obviously prefer to focus on the ignorance/mistakes of our human past, causing continued resentment, pain and mistrust, and in my opinion placing obstacles for healing now and in our future.
protect-kids-from-irresponsible-caregivers
My mouth literally hung open while reading this woman’s rants. Don’t anyone expect me to defend her in any way. She should lose her job. Period.
I think if she had made only the comment about “white masculinity,” the uproar would have been less. Her point about that is at least worthy of debate.
Hunt, it has often occurred to me that testosterone is (at times) among the most dangerous substances on the planet, but never have I thought that that which is stored in white bodies is particularly more dangerous than the rest. If I thought that, I certainly would never have married the man I did. 
I don’t think there is a difference in the testosterone–but I do think there is such a thing as “white masculinity” as a cultural phenomenon.
It’s my suspicion that some of the people who will be most outraged over this are the same folks who will explain why poor black people don’t value education.
poetsheart, you are not the designated defender for offensive speech. Maybe the professor just hasn’t been exposed to men like your husband.
“It’s my suspicion that some of the people who will be most outraged over this are the same folks who will explain why poor black people don’t value education.”
Right on, Hunt. And biggots who just met their worst nightmare: an angry, highly educated black person who may be their kid’s professor.
If this woman had been white, no one would be paying attention and this thread wouldn’t exist. I know that, because I’ve been to college, and I hang out with academics, and I’ve heard similar statements being made ALL. THE. TIME. The issue here is whose mouth that statement (as dismissive, irresponsible and wrong-toned as it is) had come from. Someone… you know… uppidy.
“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”
My son was fired because he made a complaint against a teacher who he worked for in a summer camp. She called him names, and another kid names, based on their skin color and appearance, including racist and homophobic terms.
And he was fired, because the other kid was afraid to say anything happened at all. Later, she apologized to my son for what she said, she said it was “inappropriate” and that it was “because of her ADD”.
Note that she is a pillar of the community, and helps a lot with URM kids, including multiracial and Hispanic kids like my son and the other boy. So what chance did my son have to register a complaint against her?
Tell me, if she were white, and she made those comments about blacks, how would a black person feel if they were in her class?
Except that that’s patently untrue—based on times when it’s happened in the past, if the racial elements had been reversed there would have been a momentary uproar followed by a non-apology followed by a bit more uproar followed by…well, pretty much nothing.
We’re on step 3 right now, i see.
“Tell me, if she were white, and she made those comments about blacks, how would a black person feel if they were in her class?”
The same way they feel when they hear comments like that coming from the mouths of many cops, politicians, FOX commentators, teachers and lots of other people today, and in the not-so-distant past.
White folks (male and female) rail against the patriarchy all the time.
I don’t see it through the lens of anyone being “uppidy”. She is entitled to her own opinions. But she has expressed an extreme disdain for white males and is in a position where she will be awarding them grades. There is a lot of discretion in grading especially in the humanities where you may be evaluating essays or writing styles.
If I were a white male attending BU there is no way I would enroll in her classes. If she is so averse to white males that she avoids doing business with them, what would lead me to believe I would get a fair shake with her when she awarded grades? Professional ethics? Sorry I would not take that chance. Her tweet indicates to me a level of anger that I would not be comfortable subjecting myself to.
Forgive my ignorance, but can someone explain what the phrase means: “White masculinity is THE problem for America’s colleges.”
I still think that Rodney King said it best “why can’t we just all get along?”
Funny thing is that when evil comes to America and does unspeakable acts
of death and destruction we as Americans band together side by side regardless of
race and work side by side to help those in need. As we work diligently to save lives
and we look upon each other, we get a feeling of adoration and love from each other
no matter the race, religion, sex etc.
We are Americans and I truly believe we love each other dearly. I have witnessed and felt this
overwhelming love for others that I have never met. I felt it as I rummaged through debris at the
World Trade Center as well as at other events where destruction reared its ugly head. And yes the
feeling took place as I stared into the eyes of black and white people.
You see, I am an inner city (white male) firefighter and I LOVE
all people and I never think twice about putting my life in real danger when there is
someone in harms way…no matter their race, religion, sex etc. I choose to do it
because I LOVE people…all people, that includes Saida Grundy.
We all say stupid things now and again, it is okay Saida Grundy I still love you
and as God asks of all of us, I forgive you…even if at this moment you do not think
that your comments were wrong. One day I hope she realizes that there are white
masculine men that do carry love for all in their hearts.
@Bay, you wrote "the phrase means: “White masculinity is THE problem for America’s colleges.”
But I read that the comment was “white college males” a “problem population” ;
What I seemed to have read here on CC was something about a relationship between the percentage of what i seem to recall as white males, and the frequency of alcohol abuse and/or alcohol related incidents. Does that sound familiar to anyone? I will look for the reference.
Shrinkrap, here’s the quote from the article in the OP:
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As the non-biggoted parent of 3 non-biggoted white males, I can only say that this would be my worst nightmare as well. She didn’t rail against bigoted white males. She railed against ALL white males. Words such as hers do not just “slip out”. She wrote them. She believes them. She is a racist and a sexist, and should not be teaching.
@Bay ; I see; thanks. so where did "An incoming Boston University professor who called “white college males” a “problem population” come from? Where those supposed to be someone else’s words, or did she say that too? Because those words, especially in a public forum, make more sense to me. Based on what I’ve read here on CC. 