Academia, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Media, Society

Boston University Professor Saida Grundy Apologizes For Racist and Sexist Comments As “Indelicate”

GrundyPic-150x150Boston_University_seal.svgWe have been discussing the curious start of the academic career of Saida Grundy, an incoming assistant professor of sociology and African-American studies at Boston University, who released a series of tweets denounced by many as racist and sexist. “White masculinity isn’t a problem for america’s colleges, white masculinity is THE problem for america’s colleges.” In a January tweet, Grundy wrote: “Every MLK week I commit myself to not spending a dime in white-owned businesses. and every year i find it nearly impossible.” Previously, she posted comments like “Deal with your white sh*t, white people. slavery is a *YALL* thing.” With many objecting that the University would have fired a male or white professor for such comments directed against blacks or women, donors have begun to revolt and the University was forced to issue a statement condemning the comments. Now, after a surprisingly long period of silence, Grundy has apologized but may have aggravated the situation further. She has called the statements “indelicate” and says that they were in response to unidentified events. The response has been withering with many saying that few would view the comments “indelicate” if a white professor encouraged people not to buy things from black people or calling black males as the problem on colleges.


Boston University president Robert Brown expressed “disappointment” with her statements and his concern over “statements that reduce individuals to stereotypes on the basis of a broad category such as sex, race, or ethnicity. I believe Dr. Grundy’s remarks fit this characterization.”

Grundy wrote that the tweets were the result of “personal passion” to “events we now witness with regularity in our nation.” She added “I regret that my personal passion about issues surrounding these events led me to speak about them indelicately. I deprived them of the nuance and complexity that such subjects always deserve.” She further promised to be fair to whites and males in her classes, acknowledging her duty “to create an inclusive learning environment for all of my students. Both professionally and ethically, I am unequivocally committed to ensuring that my classroom is a space where all students are welcomed.”

My greatest concern remains the question of equal treatment for other faculty in making controversial statements. As previously discussed, we have seen actions taken against faculty for comments viewed as racist or sexist in social media. I believe that Grundy should be protected as a matter of free speech in such comments, but I also believe that Boston University has created a bright line here for future such cases. In such future cases of “delicate” speech, I hope that Grundy will now be the first to step forward and defend the right of those making such comments. With the new effort to punish “micro aggressions” on college campus and regulate speech, such macro aggressions can still be matters of free speech.

121 thoughts on “Boston University Professor Saida Grundy Apologizes For Racist and Sexist Comments As “Indelicate””

  1. “Men lie the most, women tell the biggest lies. A dude lies and says, ‘I’m @ Tony’s house’, a women lies, ‘IT’S YOUR BABY”

    Chris Rock

  2. Bettykath,

    Are you saying it’s wrong to call for the firing of Saida Grundy?

    Would you say that’s the liberal consensus?

  3. The Great Stanton, I would suggest you keep the exchanges between us two normal people. As we know, Kerry and Bush had quite similar grades @ Yale. Engaging indirectly is the prudent way to proceed when dealing w/ angry people.

  6. “Women hate women. You put a man between two bitches been friends for 25 years. ‘I HATE THAT F@CKIN’ BITCH!!’ Guys aren’t like that, they know there are other fish in the sea.”

  7. the prez you refer too was an officer in the air force and flew fighters…how many half-wits can fly an F-16 Annie?…

  9. The Great Stanton, You’re right about white folk in Rock’s audience and white people are the majority of his fans, although there are more of us crackers. He goes after women REAL hard, as well as men. EVERYONE gets skewered by PC Freedom Fighters.

  11. PC people don’t understand that comedians speak truth to white people as well. Using half your brain is no way to go through life. PC Freedom Fighters skewers EVERYONE. The roundtable discussion touches briefly on places those comedians won’t go, but they would not vilify another comedian for treading on, Holocaust, being one topic I believe.

  13. racism will never stop…never end…all you can do is police your own behavior…don’t focus on “THE” racists…just focus on yourself…if we all did that…problem solved…problem is, nobody wants to police there own behavior…nobody needs policing…that’s why racism will go on in perpetuity…

  14. There was a roundtable of comedians, Rock, Louis CK, Seinfeld, Gervais, and one or two others. It should be required viewing for all professors. They skewer PC. CK is VERY liberal but he despises PC. He has a gay comedian on his show, Rick Crom. He did a show of himself, Crom, and other comedians playing poker. The word “fag” is thrown out in conversation. Again, required watching for EVERYONE. It is a 10 minute scene @ most, but you will learn more than you would in any college class.

  17. that’s why I dig Chris Rock…his concerts are loaded with whites as well…remember the 70’s, everyone got along…I have black friends…and one yellow friend

  18. Greg Stanton, Watch a Rock concert. It is FILLED w/ black people. They are REAL black folk, the kind I know. The black people who despise Rock’s speaking truth are the Grundy’s of the world. And, he wears their scorn as a badge of honor. Comedians and comedy, particularly minority comedians, are our anti-PC Freedom Fighters.

  19. Ken, I am quite certain his kids consider themselves black. DiBlasio seems ashamed of being white. So, I can understand that. There would be some mulatto kids that would take some offense to Grundy’s comments. Derek Jeter I suspect would. He loves both his parents deeply and would never throw either under the bus. I know mullato[correct term, used by a mulatto prof I had in 2000] people. Some are pretty balanced. Depending on their color and features, a mulatto will lean one way or the other. It’s a strange world. I read both Obama’s books and he explains it pretty well. But then he threw his grandma under the bus w/ the Rev. Wright thing. Although I voted for Obama in 2008, that was my first big, red, flag.

  20. check out Chris Rock, doing his “Pissed off” girlfriend routine, when a brother gets pulled over by an oinker…LOL!

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