A former professor at the University of Memphis used her Twitter account – promoted at the time by the university’s website – to make the claim that the Charleston church gunman was not mentally ill, but just acting the way white people are “conditioned” to act. [2] Assistant professor of sociology Zandria Robinson took to social media to try to make the case that “white privilege” had somehow been the driving force behind the Charleston church massacre, according to the blog SoCawlege. [8] Here’s how Robinson describes herself on her Twitter account: “Dirty South black feminist sociologist. Zora-type ethnographer. Some babies’ mama. Negressdamus. Norf Memphis Teacake’s wife. Never in no particular order.” [11]
Robinson – who has a long history of using her university-promoted social media accounts to rail against “white privilege” – is no longer employed by the university. In April the self-described “black feminist” stirred up controversy when she suggested that “mediocre and undeserving” white students get into graduate programs rather than deserving minorities, despite the University of Memphis boasting nearly 40 percent minorities in their programs. Actual statistics didn’t bog her down in her anti-white rant, saying anyone who disagreed with her assessment would be targeted for public shaming. “So don’t you ever let me hear tell of you perpetuating these racist lies again. Not even in your head. Not even in jest,” Robinson wrote, according to Campus Reform. “Because if you do I will come for you. And I will do so in public.” More recently, Robinson posted a tweet June 26 claiming that “Whiteness is most certainly and inevitably terror.”
Robinson’s Twitter rant, which stretched from June 18 to June 26, also included tweets on what she thinks the confederate flag stands for. According to SoCawlege, the radical “black feminist” also railed against the Confederate flag as a symbol of “white heteropatriarchal capitalism.” [8] “The confederate flag is more than a symbol of white racial superiority. It is the ultimate symbol of white heteropatriarchal capitalism,” Robinson tweeted on June 18.”The flag thus is a direct symbol of race, class, gender, & sexuality oppression. We need a more nuanced intersectional reading of the thing.” She followed up that tweet with a clarification. “This isn’t to say that the American flag does not represent such things, but the confederate flag only represents those things for whites,” Robinson added. [13] After receiving responses from many Twitter users, Robinson joked that she isn’t racist because she has “a white friend.” [7] Among Robinson’s other controversial tweets were ones suggesting that the Charleston shooting was just another example of “white people acting how they’re conditioned to act” and another declaring that “death and rape threats . . . are the ultimate expressions of love from conservative whites these days.” [3] [12]
As a bit of background, Campus Reform’s Peter Hasson uncovered much of her radical history almost a month ago in this piece here. Robinson made many controversial and problematic comments about white people, and those who dissented against her view points. However, what you are about to see all comes after the initial Campus Reform piece from June 5th. In other words, this Professor didn’t just have a few bad moments or slips of the tongue in the past. This is what she promotes out of habit, and without a doubt in the classroom as well. [8] The University announced on its Twitter account Tuesday that Robinson was no longer an employee, but did not release any further details. Some thought that her long history of anti-white racism was finally deemed too much for the taxpayer-funded university to justify. But apparently that was not the case.
This announcement prompted several news outlets to report that Robinson had been fired because of her tweets – despite the fact that it was not confirmed that she’d even been fired at all. In fact, people who follow Robinson’s Twitter account (which has since been made private) are claiming that Robinson posted on Tuesday that she had not been fired over the tweets, but rather had willingly accepted another position weeks ago. [3]
According to a local Tennessee news outlet, Robinson is currently employed by Rhodes College, which seemed to refer to her controversial comments in a statement announcing her hiring. [3] In fact, the announcement seems to reference Robinson’s controversial comments, standing by the professor’s academic qualifications:
As a leading scholar and author in the areas of race, class, gender, culture, and the South, Dr. Zandria Robinson’s comments are sometimes provocative, controversial, and debatable. Dr. Robinson was hired for a faculty position in the Rhodes Anthropology & Sociology Department that calls for expertise in particular areas, specifically gender studies and social movements. Her expertise in these areas, her extensive understanding of the complex problems of race in American society, her deep roots in the Memphis area, and many years of successful teaching experience, made her an attractive candidate for the position. [3]
Rhodes College’s statement was posted by News Channel 3 in Memphis. [5]
