Nikole Hannah-Jones tells UNC Chapel Hill “Never mind.”
UNC caved and offered Hannah-Jones tenure, but all for naught. She said thanks but no thanks; I’ve got a better offer, you see – from Howard University:
“I am so incredibly honored to be joining one of the most important and storied educational institutions in our country … ” Hannah-Jones said in a statement. “One of my few regrets is that I did not attend Howard as an undergraduate, and so coming here to teach fulfills a dream I have long carried.”
If she carried that dream so very long, why didn’t she fulfill it earlier? As far as I can see, nothing stopped her from going there either as an undergrad or a graduate student. Instead, she went to Notre Dame for her undergrad work (History and African-American Studies) and in 2003 a journalism master’s from – wait for it – UNC’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media in Chapel Hill. If she had the credentials for Notre Dame and Chapel Hill, I assume she would have had no difficulty getting into Howard instead. And yet I see no evidence that she tried to do so.
More:
Hannah-Jones will also found a Center for Journalism and Democracy at Howard. She said it will aim to train journalism students from historically Black schools to “accurately and urgently [cover] the challenges of our democracy with a clarity, skepticism, rigor and historical dexterity that is too often missing from today’s journalism.
“Clarity, skepticism, rigor and historical dexterity that is too often missing from today’s journalism” – that last one, “historical dexterity,” would be an interesting way to describe the historical errors, distortions, and inaccuracies that constitute the creative fiction that is Hannah-Jones’ 1619 Project.
Hannah-Jones isn’t content to rest there. As you might imagine, she accuses UNC of racism in their treatment of her, and says she hopes it will be a lesson to them:
The Pulitzer Prize winner said she believed a decision about tenure for her at UNC was delayed because of political opposition to her work and discrimination against her as a Black woman.
Can’t possibly be because her work was criticized by the vast majority of historians, left and right, and is a piece of pure and destructive propaganda. No; it’s because they’re racists. And Hannah-Jones washes her hands of them, although she has some further advice:
“It’s not my job to heal the University of North Carolina,” she said. “That’s the job of the people in power who created the situation in the first place.”
The university is sick, you see, and needs healing. But Hannah-Jones isn’t going to save them – they will have to abase themselves further without her, which is indeed what they seem prepared to do:
Susan King, dean of the UNC-Chapel Hill journalism school, who had championed tenure for Hannah-Jones, said she was disappointed to lose her to another university. “We wish her nothing but deep success and the hope that UNC can learn from this long tenure drama about how we must change as a community of scholars in order to grow as a campus that lives by its stated values of being a diverse and welcoming place for all,” King said in a statement.
UNC journalism faculty members lamented what had happened to Hannah-Jones and said they support her choice. “The appalling treatment of one of our nation’s most-decorated journalists by her own alma mater was humiliating, inappropriate, and unjust,” more than 30 professors and others affiliated with the Hussman School of Journalism and Media wrote in a blog post. “We will be frank: It was racist.”
How many universities in the US still have academic integrity? A very small number, I’d say.
Whine, moan, complain, call everyone a racist until you get what you want then say ‘nah, no thanks’. Sounds like that was the plan all along.
I thought it was more along the lines of “rhymes with duck, ends with you”? To mah to, to may to.
She played UNC. She never was going to accept their offer. What a “S” show.
She reminds me of some “hot” college basketball coaches. She uses one offer to get a better offer.
I don’t believe a word she wrote. I can imagine UNC paid Howard to take her off of Chapel Hill’s hands.
She’s not a serious academic; if such a thing exists today in the social sciences.
She just scammed some foundations to pay Howard to give her a job.
Clearly “historical dexterity” is a euphemism for just rewriting history to suit one’s needs. This new generation of racial grievance grifters make Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al look like pikers.
According to a story at the NYPost, dozens of angry staff members at UNC have expressed their disapproval of the school’s “racism.” Also newly-promoted at Howard is the equally egregious charlatan Ta-Nehisi Coates. These hirings have been funded by millions from three well-heeled foundations, and both of these race-hustlers have recently been awarded very lucrative “genius” grants from the MacArthur Foundation. The degradation of America’s institutions and the corruption among our credentialed elite seem well-nigh irreparable, while brazen race-hustling pays enormous dividends.
I agree: this was a set-up. It was merely a sly ploy to make guilty white liberals like Susan King and (most) of those 30 faculty members grovel…and…generate plenty of media attention. Hannah-Jones is not a serious academic; she’s a narcissistic show boater, and this whole kerfuffle was in keeping with her persona
She would probably rather be in DC so she can have dinner in Georgetown with all her “contacts.”
I worked with a guy who went to Howard in 68-70. He was well educated and we got along great. I wonder what the students are like today.
Now she’s teamed up with Ta-Nehisi – whose prose emanations make Mickey Spillane read like Marcel Proust.
Although it’s nice that she made the groveling sycophants at Chapel Hill look like the gutless worms they are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjYoNL4g5Vg
She’s not a serious academic; if such a thing exists today in the social sciences.
She wasn’t under consideration for any position in psychology or social research. She was under consideration for positions on the j-school faculty.
There are, of course, serious academicians on social research faculties. The trouble is that whole subdisciplines have been badly corrupted.
She is in the same league as a Walter Duranty. There is a classless sense of self importance that they embrace. The NYTimes sure knows how to pick them.
I’m glad she won’t be teaching in Chapel Hill. On the other hand, it’s a journalism school, which means it’s not a serious academic group anyhow. Too bad.
Hiding behind racism is a way to ignore your own faults and problems – and never fix or be a better person – a salute to mediocrity at best given a social cloak of protection from self reflection
@Griffin, it certainly works great for the mayor of Chicago…
UNC has become a victim of left-wing takeover, as have so many other schools.
A recuitment contest for lying, low-life blacks? Coates? Have you read his crap? 1619 is hate-filled garbage. Well, she belongs at Howard, among her own kind. Just don’t hire a graduate whose brain has been poisoned with their hate. Unless the gubmint forces you to do so.
“ The Pulitzer Prize winner said she believed a decision about tenure for her at UNC was delayed because of political opposition to her work and discrimination against her as a Black woman.”
Actually the only reason that someone of such a meager intellect and talent was even offered tenure is because she is a black woman
Alas, it is not the school I graduated from in 1967. The University was always to the left of the state populace in general, but the academic atmosphere was free of ideological conformity.
Avi said, “Actually the only reason that someone of such a meager intellect and talent was even offered tenure is because she is a black woman.”
Just think, if only this birthing person of color were a transwoman, she could ask Howard for a deanship along with a tenured faculty position.
The interesting thing is these “anti-racists” are stimulating racism as a response to their racist BS. Not among university faculties, of course, who live and wallow in their own forms of anti-racism.
Colleges are about to be in trouble according to many sources… they have out priced their worth… what good is making 6 figs if the college debt takes all the extra money from the career? I make that and have no degrees, so dont have any college debt… whew… not like my sister… but she married wealthy so its ok and in the bag…
Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen consistently turns heads in higher education by predicting that 50% of colleges and universities will close or go bankrupt in the next decade
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhorn/2018/12/13/will-half-of-all-colleges-really-close-in-the-next-decade
many colleges are offering courses for free… there is coursera and EdX..
among a few others… even if you pay its a lot cheaper…
but here is the point… you only need paper if you want to be hired by someone who requires paper… if you are going to do your own business, you can get the same class in business finance, and not get paper… and its free instead of $400 or so… you may get more stuff for the money, like more notes and some more time online with the teacher, but if your bright enough and driven enough and autodidactic like i am, you can learn tons of things you can use or just have as trivia…
i am looking into courses now… and my job will even pay 2k towards that and give me a business account for another course company to take what i want..
heck.. i noticed that there is a lack of courses in my specialty and thought i might just do a few and see if they would net me 50 a month or more over time… 500 a year in extra cash isnt bad… and if i do 10 courses with that average… thats 5k a year i can dump into my investment portfolio for when i stop working (ha!)
Sad day for Howard University and not a very good indicator of where their academic vision is pointed.
“UNC journalism faculty members lamented what had happened to Hannah-Jones and said they support her choice. “The appalling treatment of one of our nation’s most-decorated journalists by her own alma mater was humiliating, inappropriate, and unjust,” more than 30 professors and others affiliated with the Hussman School of Journalism and Media wrote in a blog post. “We will be frank: It was racist.”
They have to be aware that her work has been “criticized by the vast majority of historians, left and right, and is a piece of pure and destructive propaganda.”
So they’re complicit with her in her sedition.
“The degradation of America’s institutions and the corruption among our credentialed elite seem well-nigh irreparable…” j e
As long as the current occupants remain, repair is impossible. They all have to go but the corruption and rot in the legislatures and judiciary will not allow for that correction. Politics by ‘other means’ may be the only remaining remedy.
“Just think, if only this birthing person of color were a transwoman…” PA + Cat
She may be holding the ‘trans’ ploy in reserve. Look how late in life Bruce Jenner ‘transitioned’. Her ambitions may see Howard as simply a stepping stone.
“There are, of course, serious academicians on social research faculties.” Art + Deco
Name one other than Charles Murray. “Serious” being defined as rigorously objective and still publishing their findings.
Geoffrey Britain:
You write that “they have to be aware” of the criticism of her work by historians.
They probably are aware of it. But not necessarily. These are faculty members in the journalism school. How much history have they read, and how much have they read of historians’ criticism of the 1619 Project? And if they have read some, they probably think it was motivated by racism, too. It’s a useful accusation to deflect criticism.
artfldgr:
Great that your job has that benefit for continued learning! That is good news!
neo,
Presumably, the apparatchiks at the UNC-Chapel Hill journalism school are as aware of the criticism of the 1619 ‘project’ as any other faculty. Especially as she ‘won’ the Pulitzer Prize for her “historical dexterity”.
UNC’s statement, “The appalling treatment of one of our nation’s most-decorated journalists” implies that they’re well aware of the controversies surrounding the 1619 lie.
No, it’s not even a case of willfull blindness but rather collaboration in sedition. They’ve “called the tune” and I for one am through with offering them the benefit of the doubt any longer.
They are supporting a monstrous lie and only those who embrace evil knowingly support monstrous lies.
And a slanderous accusation offered to deflect criticism is a demonstration of moral bankruptcy.
Geoffrey Britain:
As I said, it may be that they know.
But I’m not convinced of it. It is the truth that Hannah-Jones received honors. High honors – a Pulitzer. The debunking of the 1619 Project by historians would not necessarily reach J-school professors unless they sought it out by reading sources on the right or by reading historians’ critiques that didn’t reach the MSM. I have been astounded at the lack of knowledge of very intelligent and highly educated people I know – not just lack of agreement, but lack of the basic facts. In other words, I wouldn’t be surprised if some or even many of the j-school profs have no idea that the 1619 Project was based on lies. And if they think the 1619 Project was on the up and up, then they would think the criticism of Hannah-Jones might be based on race.
My experience with many highly educated liberal friends is that they simply don’t get the information that would challenge their viewpoints. They don’t seek it out, and it doesn’t reach them. Obviously, j-school professors should be seeking it out, but that doesn’t mean they’re doing so.
You just can’t make this stuff up. Isn’t there a nice university in Liberia with a spot for her? Could do some honest work for once, sending her J-School students out on the yams and groundnuts beats.
People like this should be the objects of scorn and sent off in disgrace to Mau-Mau the unfortunate clientele at the DMV. If there’s no freedom of speech to traduce uppity ungrateful you-know-whats… then what was it all for?
Waiting for ArtDeco to chime in on the principal cash crops of Liberia. Could be medicinal albinos’ livers for all I know.
Am I missing something? I never thought it was normal to be offered tenure right off the bat. A tenure-track position, maybe, but not tenure before you’ve even taught a class.
NVM. Apparently the position usually gets tenure. That sounds dumb to me. But w/e.
Occam’s Razor as explained by neo: just because you work in the Ivy Halls and are piled higher and deeper doesn’t make you well informed or actually curious to know truth.
My experience with many highly educated liberal friends is that they simply don’t get the information that would challenge their viewpoints.
Pretty feckless if they’re giving away a tenured position and they fail to consult information open to any mope.
Does anyone ask why there are tenured positions in an occupational school? I can imagine communications scholars having tenure, but she’s not that.
I think Howard University is a better fit professionally for someone with Hannah-Jones’ credentials. She’ll be able to get away with a lot more, with a lot less scrutiny, and under favorable conditions, at Howard. Her entire shtick is most definitely not about serious scholarship, but about attention and rent-seeking.
I never thought it was normal to be offered tenure right off the bat.
Arts and sciences faculties have some hire-to-tenure deals. The faculty member hired is an established scholar already tenured at another school. You’re poaching to build your department. Very often these come with endowed chairs. On the arts and sciences faculty I know best, there were a scatter of such people out of 200+ professors and lecturers. One was a biologist, one was a historian, one was an economist, one was a sociologist, and one was an art historian. They were hired for different reasons and the last two were political / social patronage hires. They were all, however, published scholars. (Two were hired off of the faculty of selective private colleges, two off of rank-and-file state research universities, and one off the staff of the Smithsonian).
I think Howard University is a better fit professionally for someone with Hannah-Jones’ credentials.
Not sure. I’ll wager the blacks who run Howard cannot be shifted as easily as the white leftoids at Chapel Hill and know how to turn the tables on her.
^^^ I hate agreeing with this fellow… But he’s nailed it again.
I think Howard University will welcome the notoriety. She brings attention to the institution. I am not under any impressions that Howard’s leadership is un-woke, or rigidly aligned to conservative principles, or somehow insensitive to the current state of black culture and power politics in the USA. It will advance their reputation, but not in a way that I believe will ultimately help them.
Looks like UNC dodged a bullet despite their best efforts at shooting themselves in the head.
As an NC taxpayer, I say, one down, a thousand harmful profs to go.
She’ll be happier closer to the national media in DC. While it must have been fun being pursued so ardently, how much bowing and scraping can one woman take?
Super Grifter shows the amateurs how it’s done.
What a great lesson for the kids!
Thanks, Super Grifter!
Buahahahah!
And a big “In your face” to my BLM yard sign neighbors.
}}} “accurately and urgently [cover] the challenges of our democracy with a clarity, skepticism, rigor and historical dexterity that is too often missing from today’s journalism.
Translation:
Teach them how to “make shit up” just as she did for the 1619 Project.
BTW, the AP’s “unbiased” spin on it:
==============================================
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A Black investigative journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for her groundbreaking work on the bitter legacy of slavery in the U.S. announced Tuesday that she will not join the faculty at the University of North Carolina following an extended tenure fight marked by allegations of racism and conservative backlash about her work.
—and—
Nikole Hannah-Jones will instead accept a chaired professorship at Howard University, a historically Black school in Washington, D.C. The dispute over whether North Carolina’s flagship public university would grant Hannah-Jones a lifetime faculty appointment had prompted weeks of outcry from within and beyond its Chapel Hill campus. Numerous professors and alumni voiced frustration, and Black students and faculty questioned during protests whether the predominantly white university values them.
—and—
Hannah-Jones — who won the Pulitzer Prize for her work on The New York Times Magazine’s 1619 Project focusing on America’s history of slavery — noted that she hadn’t sought out the job, and was recruited by UNC’s journalism dean before her tenure application stalled amid objections by a powerful donor and concerns by conservatives about her work.
===================================
It won a “Pulitzer Prize” like Obama won a Nobel Peace Prize. It’s a mutual back-patting award for mass incompetence masked in lefty bullshittery.
90% of historians — the majority of whom ARE LIBERAL — reject the basic premises, as well as the conclusions, of the 1619 Project as shoddy and unjustifiable. But it’s only “conservatives” who are concerned about her work….
But WAIT… Guess who the AP has writing this?????
Down at the very bottom…
“AP race and ethnicity writer Aaron Morrison is a member, trainer and mentor for the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, which Hannah-Jones co-founded.”
Yeah, no bias there.
One of these days, I’m going to eyeroll myself into another dimension.
OBloodyHell:
Good find.
Thanks om… but actually, its a joke for me as I never stop and am very very autodidactic… I now have tons of expertise in things i cant use and its frustrating… also no one believes i can do what i can do and can demonstrate i can do…
depressing
Artfldgr – Please keep posting here at Neo’s Salon; you have observations on so much material most of us would otherwise never encounter.