Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

No CRT to See Here. Move Along Now.

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by

James A. Bacon
in ,

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The University of Virginia paid $32,500 to Critical Race Theory popularizer Ibram Kendi to discuss “racial equity” for an hour. The university contracted with Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau, according to an agreement obtained by The Daily Wire through the Freedom of Information Act.

The virtual event took place April 21 last year, and 876 people attended.

“The University of Virginia welcomes speakers from a broad array of perspectives to our Grounds every academic year and we often do pay speakers fees or other compensation,” UVA spokesperson Brian Coy told The Daily Wire. “Offering our community access to a diverse set of speakers and points of view is an important part of our academic mission.”

Oh, really?

Let’s see the list of speakers with diverse points of view.

Three conservatives speaking at UVa during the current academic year included National Review editor Rich Lowry and Texas congressman Chip Roy in an “In Defense of Thomas Jefferson” program, and former congresswoman Mia Love discussing her personal journey. It is true that UVa permitted those events to be held on the university grounds. But speakers’ fees were paid by The Jefferson Council (with which I am affiliated) and the Young America’s Foundation.

There may have been a handful of right-0f-center speakers who played less prominent roles in conferences or panel discussions. The only prominent non-leftist I can think of is Jonathan Haidt, a former UVa social-psychology professor of moderate political views best known as co-founder of the Heterodox Academy.

The Daily Caller writes:

Other 2020-2021 series speakers were thinkers who have argued America is systemically racist, including Duke University professor Eduardo Bonilla-Silva — a sociologist who has claimed that America has normalized “the standards of white supremacy.” A separate contract obtained by The Daily Wire shows UVA’s diversity, equity, and inclusion division sponsored Silva’s November 2020 Zoom event for $10,000.

The obvious follow-up question is this: where did the funds come from to pay for the speakers?

— JAB

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29 responses to “No CRT to See Here. Move Along Now.”

  1. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    The University of Virginia paid $32,500 to Critical Race Theory popularizer Ibram Kendi to discuss “racial equity” for an hour.

    I’d have done it for half that amount. All they had to do was ask….

    😉

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      No, Jim, thinking the way the other side does, the obvious question is why did the black speaker get paid three times as much to trash the US of A to a group of eager UVA America haters. Why is the “America Sucks” message worth less from a speaker from a Hispanic background? All about the numbers, right? Had it been the other way around, imagine the complaints. Some poor prof of English or German background might only get mileage and hotel costs for a similar jeremiad.

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        WHOA! What is this?! A good Republican arguing against market value?! I’m shocked, Rick! Shocked that there is price control suggested in this establishment!

      2. walter smith Avatar
        walter smith

        UVA is RAAAACISSSS…
        Disparate impact analysis can work both ways…

  2. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    Kendi accepts cash, checks, money orders, and your mind.

  3. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    ya’ll are right. I don’t think they’d pay Joe Rogan the same.

  4. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    I thought college is where discussing CRT is allowed by the Right. Please make up our mind…

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      Only if it is not Kendi….

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        But Kendi readily admits that he doesn’t know anything about CRT. He’s an historian, so how is he going to discuss CRT anyway?

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          you obviously do not understand how “conservatives”….. ‘think’… 😉

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            I think we just got a lesson in how “conservatives” ‘think’… and it’s got some pretty ugly sides.

        2. James C. Sherlock Avatar
          James C. Sherlock

          “Kendi is a historian”. Because he describes himself as one and gets hired by Boston University to teach history. He is a genius race hustler. Timing is everything in this case.

          After earning his degree in African American studies at Florida A&M, He worked for a time at The Virginian Pilot.

          He then pursued his graduate studies.

          “At 27 years old, he earned his doctoral degree in African American Studies from Temple University in 2010. He taught at several tier 3 schools until 2020.”

          “In June of 2020, Boston University awarded him an endowed professorship. BU’s endowed Andrew W. Mellon Professorship has been held by only one other person in the University’s history: Elie Wiesel, the late Holocaust survivor and 1986 Nobel Peace Prize laureate who fought for decades for human rights around the world and who died in 2016.

          Let’s see. Elie Wiesel. Ibram Kendi. You explain it.

          “In June 2020, it was announced that Kendi would join Boston University as a professor of history. Upon accepting the position, Kendi agreed to move the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University to Boston University, where he will serve as the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research.”

          June of 2020. “Agreed to move”. Let’s see. What happened in May of 2020? Time’s up. The George Floyd riots.

          “Dr. Kendi is a contributor writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News Racial Justice Contributor. He is the host of new action podcast Be Antiracist. In 2020, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the “Genius Grant.”

          Nothing to see here. The man is a certified genius.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            envy?

          2. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Runs deeper than just that.

          3. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            what do you call envy combined what whataboutism?

          4. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            A CAPT?

          5. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            “Because he describes himself as one and gets hired by Boston University to teach history. He is a genius race hustler. Timing is everything in this case.”

            Well, so much to unwrap there.

            He’s an historian because he was conferred with a degrees in such from Temple, and Florida A&M.

            Or is he not because you don’t think Temple or Florida A&M (HBCU) is a real university? Or, is it that African American Studies is not a field in history?

            Which is it?

            I mean it’s not like he wrote a bunch of OpEds on the subject and then just declared himself an expert on policy,

            “Let’s see. Elie Wiesel. Ibram Kendi. You explain it.”

            Uh? I dunno. Anti-Semitism? Racism? Only you can answer that.

          6. James McCarthy Avatar
            James McCarthy

            TY for the bio which tends to disprove whatever point you allege to be making. Astonishing!!!

        3. James C. Sherlock Avatar
          James C. Sherlock

          “Kendi is a historian”. Because he describes himself as one and gets hired by Boston University to teach history. He is a genius race hustler. Timing is everything in this case.

          After earning his degree in African American studies at Florida A&M, He worked for a time at The Virginian Pilot.

          He then pursued his graduate studies.

          “At 27 years old, he earned his doctoral degree in African American Studies from Temple University in 2010. He taught at several tier 3 schools until 2020.”

          “In June of 2020, Boston University awarded him an endowed professorship. BU’s endowed Andrew W. Mellon Professorship has been held by only one other person in the University’s history: Elie Wiesel, the late Holocaust survivor and 1986 Nobel Peace Prize laureate who fought for decades for human rights around the world and who died in 2016.

          Let’s see. Elie Wiesel. Ibram Kendi. You explain it.

          “In June 2020, it was announced that Kendi would join Boston University as a professor of history. Upon accepting the position, Kendi agreed to move the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University to Boston University, where he will serve as the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research.”

          June of 2020. “Agreed to move”. Let’s see. What happened in May of 2020? Time’s up. The George Floyd riots.

          “Dr. Kendi is a contributor writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News Racial Justice Contributor. He is the host of new action podcast Be Antiracist. In 2020, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the “Genius Grant.”

          Nothing to see here. The man is a certified genius.

    2. Cathis398 Avatar
      Cathis398

      correct.

      also college, and in particular the University of Virginia, is where the right demands absolute freedom of speech.

      except when it comes to bestselling, MacArthur-award winning authors, who are not allowed to give talks.

  5. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Kendi is not a Critical Race Theorist. He readily admits that.
    https://mobile.twitter.com/dribram/status/1413508494070718464

    1. walter smith Avatar
      walter smith

      Anti-racist and CRT are substantively different…how? You Libs sure do spend a lot of time insisting something doesn’t exist…which if it didn’t exist would seem unnecessary…
      https://www.theantiracisteducator.com/critical-race-theory

  6. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    And then, there’s this guy and his wife bringing ‘legitimate political discourse’ to universities near you…
    https://www.colorado.edu/asmagazine/2020/02/25/cu-boulder-hires-new-visiting-scholars-conservative-thought-policy

    1. walter smith Avatar
      walter smith

      Ok Nancy. Please tell us how Eastman is not a legitimate scholar.
      Please define “legitimate public discourse.”
      Have you Dems moved beyond vote fraud doesn’t happen to it doesn’t happen enough to affect elections yet? Why is that acceptable? Remember RUSSIA! for 4 years? Give me $40 million, the FBI, 3500 subpoenas and 500 depositions and see what happens.
      How come we require public companies to audit their financials, but it is a threat to Democracy to expect the same sort of integrity in our voting systems?
      Why, it sounds a lot like the constant assurance that CRT and DEI don’t exist…But guys can become girls and compete in women’s sports. Trans men need menstrual supplies. Masks work. Party of SCIENCE!
      Just a little bit of fighting back to normalcy and you guys melt down…Probably because, deep down, you know you are wrong. A Potemkin edifice…

  7. James McCarthy Avatar
    James McCarthy

    While the amount paid to a single speaker may be questioned, the source of the funds is not paramount since TJI, an affiliate, openly sponsors conservative speakers. The source of those funds is also not material

    The main issue is that the University is sponsoring speech from both ends of the spectrum aa testimony to academic freedom. Carping about what their topics are is irrelevant.

    1. Cathis398 Avatar
      Cathis398

      it’s almost like what this site cares about is not “freedom of speech” or “freedom of thought” or “academic freedom” but making absolutely sure that anyone not part of the political right is silenced. weird how that works!

      1. walter smith Avatar
        walter smith

        Sing to your Leftist Choir…
        What do you think of compelled statements in support of DEI, not just words, but activities, as part of “peer review?”
        How about in job applications? Not a litmus test?
        (Besides violating UVA’s own non-discrimination policy, but what does legality matter to Marxists?)

        1. Cathis398 Avatar
          Cathis398

          i was basically agreeing with you, so feel free to jab away.

          but as a matter of fact, despite being a member of the Leftist Choir, I am deeply concerned about compelled statements, especially as a part of peer review & hiring, and personally expect that if they are ever relied on in personnel actions. they will be found to violate academic freedom, which I support strongly.

          & academic freedom (along with freedom of speech) is part of why I strongly support UVa’s right to have both Kendi and Rich Lowry and pretty much anyone else they want speak there, and am not at all sure what the point of this post is. I’ll go further: UVa has had many pro-CRT speakers on grounds, and many who either oppose or are indifferent to it. which is 100% as it should be.

          1. walter smith Avatar
            walter smith

            We are in agreement about free speech and academic freedom. Great.
            Where you are off is in the nature of frequency and support.
            Rich Lowry was not funded by UVA. Nor Mia Love. And you have to jump through hoops to have the event. Meanwhile, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, coming out of official UVA is not just to the Left, it is far to the Left. Occasionally, a panel might include a GHWB or GWB staffer, who are out of line with the majority of the right.
            If you look at UVA Today, today, another article celebrating a UVA Law grad…with Obama ties and son of Z Brzezinski… and that tied to some new Vice Provost…with ties to Obama…
            If you examine the Deans of all the schools, do you think any ONE voted for Trump? I am not kidding that it seems every significant new hire has ties to Obama.
            UVA is already incredibly unbalanced, probably 90-95% Leftist faculty, and now compelled DEI statements? And this hasn’t affected admissions? Admissions isn’t skewed?
            The compelled DEI statement violates federal law and UVA’s own non-discrimination policy. And the BOV snores on.
            Somehow, I am now the liberal, believing you judge people by the content of character, not the color of skin. Where did that go and how did I become the liberal?

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