Professor Sundiata Cha-Jua, a prominent history and African-American studies professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is under fire after using racist slurs to describe Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker. While the racist attack has drawn criticism on conservative sites, there has been no opposing statement or protest at the university. The media has also been largely quiet. The contrast to past controversies involving conservative faculty members again raises the concern over a double standard applied by colleges and universities as well as the media. Thus far, the response to the use of racist slurs or tropes against Republicans has been the familiar sound of crickets.Cha-Jua wrote in The News-Gazette Walker is “incompetent, subliterate and coonish.”
Recently, Walker was subjected to a racist attack on MSNBC by regular guest (and writer for Above the Law and the Nation) Elie Mystal. MSNBC never apologized to Walker or affirmed its opposition to such racist commentary.
The column was an attack on Black Republicans who Cha-Jua refers to as “MAGA Black White supremacists.”The column seems to follow a pattern among Democratic politicians in attacking Black and Hispanic voters who are shifting over to the GOP. President Biden was ridiculed for declaring “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
In his highly offensive column, Chu-Jua compares a Black Republican candidate Terence Stuber to a slave serving white masters: “And like the incompetent, subliterate and coonish Herschel Walker, Stuber reiterates ‘massa’ Trump’s talking points.” Stuber is running for Champaign County Clerk.
The lack of any protest or statement at the university is another example of how such controversies are handled when they involve faculty on the left as opposed to right. There are relatively few conservative or Republican faculty at most universities today, but the response to any such controversial statements is often immediate and overwhelming.
I have defended faculty who have made similarly disturbing comments “detonating white people,” abolish white people, denouncing police, calling for Republicans to suffer, strangling police officers, celebrating the death of conservatives, calling for the killing of Trump supporters, supporting the murder of conservative protesters and other outrageous statements. I also defended the free speech rights of University of Rhode Island professor Erik Loomis, who defended the murder of a conservative protester and said that he saw “nothing wrong” with such acts of violence. (Loomis was later made Director of Graduate Studies of History at Rhode Island).
Even when faculty engage in hateful acts on campus, however, there is a notable difference in how universities respond depending on the viewpoint. At the University of California campus, professors actually rallied around a professor who physically assaulted pro-life advocates and tore down their display.
When these controversies arose, faculty rallied behind the free speech rights of the professors. That support was far more muted or absent when conservative faculty have found themselves at the center of controversies. The recent suspension of Ilya Shapiro is a good example. Other faculty have had to go to court to defend their free speech rights. One professor was suspended for being seen at a controversial protest.
I would defend Cha-Jua’s right to speak despite his offensive rhetoric in any effort to fire him. Yet, such language should be condemned. A professor used openly racist slurs to attack African Americans running for office and the silence from the university and the faculty at Illinois is perfectly deafening. The contrast in these cases is glaring and chilling. The professors and pundits who have written hair-triggered columns or tweets are notably silent when the racist attack is directed against Black Republicans or conservatives.
The response explains the sense of fear and intimidation for some faculty in speaking out on campuses. There is a general view that a conservative or dissenting faculty member will be given little quarter or protection in any controversy. Given the relatively small number of openly conservative or Republican professors left on many faculties, the chilling effect is perfectly glacial.
Is this guy the one that wears that huge cotton ball on his head?
Yes. He’s the big fat Q-tip.
Since it was founded in 1828, the Democrat Party has always supported laws and practices that treat Americans differently based on the color of their skin. First it was slavery. Then Jim Crow. Now. in 2022, we have racial preferences by college admissions offices as well as race-based assignment to dormitories, student centers, and graduation ceremonies. Also in 2022, we have racial preferences for hiring and promoting employees, and in the award of government contracts.
Well said, Andrew.
The LEFT owns racism. The Democrat Party enforced, protected and defended slavery throughout the history of the United States. The Democrat Party was the home of the KKK the epitome of hatred against the black race. Woodrow Wilson was a deeply avowed and practicing racist and was elected by the Democrat Party as POTUS.
Ownership has its privileges. The rules. 1. Only white people can be racist. 2. Only black people can define racism. 3. No matter how revolting and hateful the speech of a black person appears to be even if it has every attribute of racist speech, it cannot be racist. 4. No white person can use the “N word” ever. 5. Black people can use the “N word” as often as they like against each other. 6. The word racist has only a loose connection to its original meaning. It’s primary use is as a weapon a slur a label against any and all political opponents of the Marxist LEFT. 7. The word racist has been overused and abused to such an extent it no longer has the same impact because it is known to be much more of a slur than an attribute of the person being attacked.
Let us understand the logic of this black professor. He supports the Democract party. A party build on and supported by racism, Jim Crow, generation genocide, and now Socialism. But does not have anything to say about Reverend that supports ABORTION????.
Mr. Turley, free speech doesn’t mean that it costs nothing as AOC believes. It means that we are free to express our beliefs without being shunned by the Church of Propriety. While my politics and that Cha-Jua’s are galaxies apart, many believe that he speaks the truth. To you and so many on both the right and left, that is hate speech. Walker and Warnock are both unfit to represent anyone. Walker just checks all the boxes on the black stereotype. He is, as Cha-Jua implies, dumb as a post.
Almost all the racism in this country comes from the left. It’s why so many leftists think the country is racist; they’re surrounded by their fellow racist leftists.
“I have defended faculty who have made similarly disturbing comments”
Mr. Turley, please stop defending them.
This growing group of authoritarian academics do not seek the furtherance of knowledge nor the seeking of truth. They wish for social power over other and as we have all see, will even go so far as supporting violence against any who question them.
If this professor fees so emboldened to speak in this unbecoming and boorish manner towards public officials or those simply running for office, just imagine what he would do to a young student who has yet to form any sort of experience on how to defend themselves. I would imagine his class is a nightmare of ideological indoctrination allowing violence towards any who dare to disagree.
To close, sir, please change your viewpoint on the noble support of being free to be outspoken in cases like this. The offenders do not deserve this.
No, he is right to defend them. We cannot abandon principle and hold the moral high ground. I’m not worried about Turley. He understands this full well.
Shockingly, his remarks regarding Walker are the most intelligent he has uttered in years…you try majoring in Ebonics during college!
Generally, “Those who scream RACIST”. .. ARE