Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Georgetown Law Professor Fired After Racist Comments About Black Student Performance

Hook, Line and Sinker

Wow!

Watercolor #4


I think what I am learning is to just not fall for online "click bait," such as the above post title headline.

From the article by Margaret Barthel, of The dcist:

In the recording, which took place at the end of a negotiations class on Zoom, adjunct professors Sandra Sellers and David Baston talked casually about the performance of Black students in class.

“You know what, I hate to say this, I end up having this, you know, angst every semester, that a lot of my lower ones are Blacks. Happens almost every semester,” Sellers said. “It’s like, ‘Oh come on.’ [You] get some really good ones but there also are usually some that are just plain at the bottom. It drives me crazy.”

In the clip, Baston nods and murmurs agreement but does not offer his own comments.

Sellers has been fired, according to a statement from Georgetown University Law Center Dean Bill Treanor, who characterized Sellers’ words as “reprehensible statements concerning the evaluation of Black students.” Treanor said Baston’s conduct is under review by the Georgetown Office of Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action.

“These racist statements reveal not only Sellers’ beliefs about Black students in her classes, but also how her racist thoughts have translated to racist actions,” a letter to the university from the Georgetown Black Law Students Association reads. “Professor Sellers’s bias has impacted the grades of Black students in her classes historically, in her own words.”

I don't know where to begin.

Are you not even supposed to see the ones "plainly at the bottom?" Should there be no bottom? Should that only be for twerking, and not academia?

I'm pretty sure that Sellers is black; because, in the original article, she said "It's some good ones," rather than "There are some good ones" -a dead giveaway that, if she isn't black, she at least grew up in a culture that corrupts English in that way. 

It's a lot of black people who talk that way. I've heard them speak in Virginia and Florida. 

And it’s like, oh, come on. It’s some really good ones, but there are also usually some that are just plain at the bottom. It drives me crazy.” Batson, who co-taught the class, nodded. -from the actual transcript

But Margaret Barthel "fixed" Maxine's language with the edit in the braces. Doesn't that make Barthel a racist? Maybe there are some changes overdue at the dcist!

But, are there really African Americans plainly at the bottom every year?

Probably. 

But, you see; this is because Professor Sellers placed them there!

She only saw their work as being piss-poor because of her bias against them, and her lack of critical thinking skills. Her mentioning of "the really good ones" was probably just a smoke-screen in an attempt to obfuscate her "true beliefs," which will become evident to anyone who reads the next part of the sentence (out of context).

Don't bother asking the professor whose career may have just been canceled for any clarification of what her true beliefs are; not necessary; they've got her on video as clear as day. Unbelievable.

The Really Disturbing Matter

But, let me bring in Exhibit A: Maxine Walters, the leader of the Black Law Students Association, and a 3rd year law student, at Georgetown Law School.

I kid you not; this is a 3rd year law student, at that (once) prestigious institution!

“I think it stems even beyond the professor and the grading to the atmosphere in the classroom, when discussion is being had or when guest speakers come and how that plays out,” she said. “I think it really, really kind of is throughout the whole experience.”

This is a 3rd year law student! who delivered this of herself (granted, it was probably an impromptu interview, so she didn't have any Grammarly type application at her disposal; she had to look up from her screen to address the interviewer). 

But this kind of grammar would have had my sixth grade teacher visiting my fifth grade teacher to ask: "What gives. Why did you pass this kid along; you know you're only doing him more harm than good, because one day his deficiency will come to light, to his, and our embarrassment?"

Maxine Walters Case

I think this stems a lot of Affirmative Action. And Ms. Walters finding it impossible to land a job after graduation is going to be throughout her whole experience, IMO.

Unless, of course, certain changes have occurred in our society, and the law firm is woke enough to realize that, by requiring her to articulate arguments to, say, a judge and jury in a way that makes her seem "educated" would be a blatantly racist thing to do (and that law firm should be disbarred). 

The jury, in the near future, should be woke enough to not hold her arguments to any particular standards of veracity or persuasiveness. 

They should be ready to "acquit if the glove doesn't fit" and not be distracted by any "facts" presented in the case. Facts are artifacts (excuse the pun?) of a white supremacist system. The juries of the future should be able to work along with Maxine Walters just fine, once the long awaited social change comes.

Yeah, I'm seriously thinking about not falling for any more click bait. This is starting to stem even beyond my sanity and be throughout my whole experience of news reading!  

No comments:

Post a Comment

Only rude and disrespectful comments will be replied to rudely and disrespectfully. Personal attacks will be replied to in kind, with the goal of providing satisfaction to the attacker.