Black Professor at University Accuses School of Racism

You're not getting it because you are a conformist you want people to talk act to they standard that you were told that was correct. You refuse to think people can converse differently and should change for you. I’m not the one to do that. I won't play your game and by your rules because you will never play mine.

 

Again, you're taking his words as the truth when it's a much more complicated than that.

It seems to me the crux of Watkins' is this - he believes that acting as a financial talking head to the African American community (with a specific emphasis on rappers and community organizers like Jesse Jackson) is a more effective form of scholarship than the more traditional publishing in journals (or books). Because he was denied tenure, it would appear that Syracuse University disagrees.

I don't necessarily disagree that speaking with rappers and Jesse Jackson may be a more effective way to communicate his financial activism to the African American community. The problem I see is that he seems to think that acting as a talking head and traditional publishing are mutually exclusive. This, of course, is ridiculous - most academic talking heads manage to do both.

What he also isn't mentioning is that there is a legitimate reason for publishing in journals. One of the key aspects to journal publishing is peer review, which ensures that new theories and ideas are given proper discussion in the academic community. Watkins may be more interested in sharing his message with the "street," but if he wants to be a scholar, he should be willing to submit himself to this process. Otherwise, it makes him look like he can't take criticism.

What I find really sad is that he might actually think Syracuse is being racist by refusing him tenure (rather than using the race card as an attention-getter). But there's nothing racist about asking someone who wants to have the rewards of tenure to "pay his dues." And as I've explained, these dues (i.e. journal publishing) are not some racist system meant to keep him down, but a means to ensure that his scholarship holds up to review.

Frankly, it seems to me that Watkins has no interest in being a scholar and is mostly enamored with being the "financial voice" of the African American community. That's fine, and in fact, I think he's probably fairly good at that role. However, he can't demand that Syracuse (or any university) change their justifiable standards for him only.

 

Ahh...i see. And, i think i agree with your post. If Watkins wants to be this black financial voice (which is silly...why do blacks need any specific "voice"?) he needs to work harder than others. If he feels he needs to reach out to the hip hop community then feel free to do so but don't do it at the expensive of your obligations to Syracuse.

 

I'm not sure what you were trying to say because it literally makes no grammatical sense. Have a fun time making up your own language, but most people don;t consider learning basic communication skills as something "conformist."

 

When you’re in the minority you almost have no choice but to culturally assimilate. The people who make the rules, who are in the majority will always look upon anything different as something that is threatening to their standard way of life. People fear what they don’t understand, and that’s when the close mindedness and different types of prejudices start to develop. You are wasting your time arguing with people who have no knowledge of Hip Hop and who seem to have selective hearing. IMO, purporting that all rap is bad and is the destruction of mankind is a hasty generalization, unfair, and just plain ignorant.




*Walks out the tread to go watch the movie Scarface*

 

Serious, stop derailing this thread with "people don't get hip-hop" pronouncements - that has NOTHING to do with the topic.

 

Maybe you should read what was posted in the thread before you turn into an annoying idiot next time you think?

 

Maybe YOU should listen to the interview before you call anyone an idiot.

 

It must be your time of the month or something because I was responding to Malcolm’s post not “Subatomic”. You run in here pissed like you’re the one who started this thread, if you didn’t like, you could have easily ignored.

Sounds like a personal problem to me.

 

Or you, Malcolm, TJ and every one else going back and forth about the cultural influence of hip-hop could start their own thread instead of ruining this one.

Sounds like a reading comprehension problem to me - maybe you should watch less Scarface and more Sesame Street.

 

you sounds more pissed off than him

 

You’re acting really feminine here again; you could have easily ignored me and posted something substantive instead of showing me any attention. Your complaining actually diverted the conversation further away from the original topic lol.


As far as me watching sesame street goes, I’ve already heard you were stunt doubling for big Bird so I’ll pass.

 

The focus came toward hip hop in this topic came from Trader George and the consistent attacks on it that followed. Now as it relevancy on this topic was the attacks by news structures in the interview which consistently used hip hop to claim that the professor was a treat and was their validation to why he can not continue to teach at Syracuse. They used the guilt by association card basically. Now as I said to have racism you need to elements prejudice and discrimination and if listen to the interview and realize the history of the institution he has a credible reason to sue the school.

 

Actually, I have posted several substantive posts. But you're right, I shouldn't waste any more time on you.

Nowhere in the interview does a Syracuse representative state that Watkins' is being denied tenure due to his association with hip-hop artists. What they do say (I think - the audio for the university representatives is pretty poor) is that appearing on Billy O'Reilly does not count as scholarship. And I definitely agree on that. So your claim that the university is using "guilt by association" is just plain false.

I would venture that in the past, racism did play a part in the fact that no black professors were given tenure. However, that does not necessarily mean that Watkins is being denied tenure due to racism. First, calling it "100 years of racism" is a bit disingenuous - it's not as if the same people have been calling the shots for 100 years. What Watkins should be looking at is the record of the current tenure board. Of course, that would require him to level accusations of racism toward specific persons (and thus open himself up to slander and libel charges) rather than the university itself. He's obviously way too smart to do something that stupid.

Furthermore, as I've explained in earlier posts, one of the key criteria for tenure is and has always been based on research and publication. This applies to all professors and no more is being asked of African-American professors (including Watkins) than is asked of anyone else.

If Watkins wants to redefine the definition of scholar, he either needs to start his own university or go to one where being a talking head is considered reason enough to be given tenure. Syracuse is under no obligation to change the rules just for him.

 

The reason why our society stays stationary.

 

Since you are still on the personal attacks without any validly to your arguments I'm going to ask you a personal question. Have you ever placed yourself on the outside of your normal atmosphere? I have a past that has put myself outside the norms of the communities which I have been raises or surrounded by through my life. After I graduated high school over 10 years ago I made sure to associate with people who weren't the people I grew up around. I had to get questions answered about differences of culture, race and class structures. That's what I base my arguments on the realizations of social issues that I take to heart. The focus of so call grammatical errors is the basis which people will claim a person is not up to an educated standard which is created by white culture America. Sometimes we are not aware of others struggles thought the nation because we tend to box ourselves in. Houston is a prime place to break though that if you wanted. It's pretty easy to step out your norms and see how others interact and why don't talk, dress and act like you. Then you might ask yourself why is it I feel that my way is correct and others are incorrect.

 

Who are these two people?