Duke University Professor makes racist comment

[Value Buy]

to the letter to the Editors section of the NYT.
Or did he?


www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/duke-professor-criticized-for-online-comments-about-african-americans/ar-BBjQOfY

You decide.

[Opti]

I read this earlier and thought about posting it. Like the other professor, these are opinions not facts and not fully supported by the employer.

"Hough identified himself as a Duke University professor in the comments and went on to praise Asians. "Every Asian student has a very simple old American first name that symbolizes their desire for integration," said the comment. "Virtually every black has a strange new name that symbolizes their lack of desire for integration."

My guess is he has never spoken to Asians or Blacks and asked why they have the names they do. I  have known Asians that have kept their first name, those who have changed it, and even those who used an American name socially but still used the Asian first name on checks and other official documents. Those who I have asked usually have told me things like they are tired of getting their name mangled, it was just easier, no one ever said because they desired integration.  Maybe it could be true for some folks.

I think, but do not know, that many of the unique first names used by Blacks are to celebrate their culture. I doubt the primary reason is something as odd as I am choosing this name so my kid does not integrate into American culture. Names go in and out of popularity.

[Tennesseer]

Duke won't discipline the professor.  

From your link:

"He [Dukes spokesman Michael Schoenfeld) quoted from the Faculty Handbook, which says every faculty member has the right “to act and to speak in his or her capacity as a citizen without institutional censorship or discipline.”

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Other than the comment about whites not wanting to date blacks (or vice versa) I did not think  his remarks were out of line. They were simply an observation of one nationality versus another nationality and how they might be perceived by the white community in general.
Not saying they are correct, just not racist.
I am not going to compare it to the rants of a racist black woman who was demonizing whites in general.

If we cannot have a rational conversation of "race" without being called a racist, nothing can happen within normal reasoning.

[Value Buy]

May 18, 2015 14:11:54 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Duke won't discipline the professor.  

From your link:

"He [Dukes spokesman Michael Schoenfeld) quoted from the Faculty Handbook, which says every faculty member has the right “to act and to speak in his or her capacity as a citizen without institutional censorship or discipline.”

Not yet anyway.
The protesters have not gotten there yet.
Then again, the sky did not fall on Duke over the Muslim call to Prayer fiasco, so maybe they will survive this too.

[Tennesseer]

May 18, 2015 14:18:35 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

May 18, 2015 14:11:54 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Duke won't discipline the professor.  

From your link:

"He [Dukes spokesman Michael Schoenfeld) quoted from the Faculty Handbook, which says every faculty member has the right “to act and to speak in his or her capacity as a citizen without institutional censorship or discipline.”

Not yet anyway.
The protesters have not gotten there yet.
Then again, the sky did not fall on Duke over the Muslim call to Prayer fiasco, so maybe they will survive this too.

Duke won't override their faculty handbook. Deal with it.

[Value Buy]

May 18, 2015 14:21:36 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

May 18, 2015 14:18:35 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

Not yet anyway.
The protesters have not gotten there yet.
Then again, the sky did not fall on Duke over the Muslim call to Prayer fiasco, so maybe they will survive this too.

Duke won't override their faculty handbook. Deal with it.

I do not have a problem with Duke and their handbook. I already stated I did not think this incident was racist. 
Duke received bad press when they allowed the call to prayer and then backed out of the decision

I have nothing to deal with.

[happyhoix]

Stating that some blacks have unusual first names is not racist. It's a fact.

Stating that 'virtually all' blacks have odd first names and they do that because they don't want to integrate with American society IS racist, because you are tagging an entire race of people with the negative motive of rejecting American society.

Maybe some of them named their children for this reason - but I think most people (of all colors) who give their kid an unusual name do it to make their kid stand out from the crowd, so he won't be any regular Tom Dick or Harry.

Assigning a negative ulterior motive to a whole race of people regardless of the factual evidence = racism.

[zibazinski]

Wasn't the story something along the lines of these were African names to celebrate their heritage?