Brittney Cooper, an associate professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Rutgers University, is doubling down on her prior public comments denouncing Trump supporters and alleging a conspiracy to kill black people. She notably has invoked her tenure status with the latest tweet attacks: “I have tenure. Rutgers won’t be firing me for tweets.” As many of you know, I have long taken the same position on the free speech rights of faculty on social media and public comments. However, schools have been less than consistent in punishing or investigating faculty based on the content of their views. Cooper declaring “F— each and every Trump supporter” obviously would include many students in the university. She blames “white depravity” and claims “when whiteness has a death wish, we are all in for a serious problem.” As previously discussed, it is doubtful that these same attacks directed against African-Americans or other groups would be treated in the same fashion.
This week, Cooper tweeted “F— each and every Trump supporter. You absolutely did this. You are to blame” for the pandemic. She brushed off past criticism and declared “I said what I meant. And I curse cuz I’m grown. I have tenure. Rutgers won’t be firing me for tweets.”
Brittney Cooper
✔@ProfessorCrunk
So I said what I meant. And I curse cuz I’m grown. I disdain every person who thought and thinks he’s a good leader, because that thinking has had material consequences for far too many of us.
Brittney Cooper
✔@ProfessorCrunk
Just know a couple of things: 1.) I report threats to law enforcement and have had committed law enforcement support for many years now. 2.) I have tenure. Rutgers won’t be firing me for tweets. That is all.
Brittney Cooper
✔@ProfessorCrunk
I feel like most Black people are clear that this utterly absurd to push to re-open the country is all about a gross necropolitical calculation that it is Black people who are dying disproportionately from COVID.
Brittney Cooper
✔@ProfessorCrunk
Not only do white conservatives not care about Black life, but my most cynical negative read of the white supremacists among them is that they welcome this massive winnowing of Black folks in order to slow demographic shifts and shore up political power.
In another post, Cooper claimed Trump supporters’ loyalty to the president impaired their judgment about the outbreak: “They are literally willing to die from this clusterf—ed COVID response rather than admit absolutely anybody other than him [Trump] would have been a better president. And when whiteness has a death wish, we are all in for a serious problem.” She has previously denounced “white depravity.”
As we have previously discussed (including a story involving an Oregon professor), there remains an uncertain line in what language is protected for teachers in their private lives. The incident also raises what some faculty have complained is a double or at least uncertain standard. We have previously discussed controversies at the University of California and Boston University, where there have been criticism of such a double standard, even in the face of criminal conduct. There were also such an incident at the University of London involving Bahar Mustafa as well as one involving a University of Pennsylvania professor. Some intolerant statements against students are deemed free speech while others are deemed hate speech or the basis for university action. There is a lack of consistency or uniformity in these actions which turn on the specific groups left aggrieved by out-of-school comments. There is also a tolerance of faculty and students tearing down fliers and stopping the speech of conservatives. Indeed, even faculty who assaulted pro-life advocates was supported by faculty and lionized for her activism.
Again, I believe Cooper’s speech should be protected but the recognition of such free speech values seems to often exclude faculty and students from opposing political or social perspectives. The protection of such speech continues to depend on its content in determining if actions will be taken by the university.
The problem is right behind her, literally. It’s her fat ass. Obesity is rampant in the black community and it doesn’t mix well with COVID-19. Someday maybe she can figure out people are responsible for their OWN health and what they stuff in their pie-hole.
5 facts with explanations and the numbers at the at the website. Some people have become crazy.
https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/494034-the-data-are-in-stop-the-panic-and-end-the-total-isolation
The data is in — stop the panic and end the total isolation
Fact 1: The overwhelming majority of people do not have any significant risk of dying from COVID-19.
Fact 2: Protecting older, at-risk people eliminates hospital overcrowding.
Fact 3: Vital population immunity is prevented by total isolation policies, prolonging the problem.
Fact 4: People are dying because other medical care is not getting done due to hypothetical projections.
Fact 5: We have a clearly defined population at risk who can be protected with targeted measures.
Well… Ms. Cooper had better ask how ‘shelter in place’ advanced by progressives helps black people, as blacks need up to 6x as much solar UB-B exposure as whites to get the equivalent amount of vitamin D.
D3 is critical to healthy immune function, and telling people of dark skin colour to excessively shelter from the sun is telling them to wither and die inside their homes and not be a bother.
Correction… That should be UV-B, that frenemy radiation from the sun….
Maybe Prof Cooper could help with these situations all over the country: https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2020/04/04/detroiters-defy-whitmers-stay-at-home-order-in-social-media-videos
And with a BMI over 30, Ms Cooper is in the highest risk to die category if she would contract Covid 19 adding to an already glaring statistic.
Brittany Cooper IS just another black racist who only got her job due to BLACK PRIVILEGE. Yes that’s right BLACK PRIVILEGE. You couldn’t get a good job with your content of character.
All that hot air about freedom on campus from JT and his right wing peanut gallery – even praising U ofFlorida for the disastrous Richard Spencer show – and one professor in Rutgers and it’s “This must not stand!”
STF up and make up your mind.
Another racist comment by another racist
Really? Maybe she should take a look at Planned Parenthood if she cares about black lives. She is a disgrace to Rutgers, Rutgers students, NJ and Black Americans. She is a problem. I guess the phrase “Those that can’t do, teach” Fits this situation perfectly. Make Rutgers respectable and get rid of her for espousing HATE SPEECH.
‘Necropolitical’ is tooo creepy. Almost as bad as Trumpitis ….
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