Cornel West
Diversity is its own worst enemy.
Those of us who follow racial politics have increasingly observed an odd bird–the irate black professor who never tires of anti-white rants that are little more than high-sounding gobbledygook and comical misinformation. These imposters are handsomely paid by white-run universities for this fake “scholarship.” Even odder, they are not embarrassed by their own foolishness, and are genuinely surprised when publicly criticized. Think of the venerable Cornel West and, more recently, Saida Grundy. Conceivably, the failure of Great Society-like programs to bring the Promised Land has encouraged the search for ever more bizarre theories to explain racial inequality.
This new type of black “scholar” is a relatively new phenomenon. They did not exist decades ago, and their numbers are growing. Let me try to explain how these oddities have come into existence.
Non-academics are only dimly aware of the pressure on universities to hire blacks, and administrators who refuse to do so can endanger their careers. And few departments can resist funds for “underrepresented minorities” that are not counted against the department’s own budget (this makes the money “free” in academic parlance). Nor are academic specialties relevant; blackness is the only must-have qualification. One professor friend described his department this way: John does international relations, Fred teaches Congress, and Bill is black.
What is important, however, is that the black generally appear superficially “middle class” and respectable. ...
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