Last night, May 22, 2023, I appeared on Greg Kelly Reports on Newsmax TV, to talk about the civil rights complaint filed by the Equal Protection Project against the University of Minnesota for running a summer research program that excluded white students.
We covered the background in our initial post, Non-Whites Only U. Minnesota Summer Research Program Challenged By Equal Protection Project.
The story was picked up by Fox News Digital, The NY Post, The Daily Mail, and was the subject of a segment I appeared on at Fox and Friends.
When I started on Kelly’s show I was aware, as reported in the NY Post, that the university was reevaluating the program based on EPP’s complaint and the massive publicity. I was unaware, however, that just moments before we started the segment the university had altered the website descriptions of the program and eligibility requirements to remove the language excluding whites. I covered that change in Victory: U. Minnesota Drops Race Requirements Excluding Whites From Summer Program After Equal Protection Project Complaint showing the “before” and “after” website entries, and concluding:
Clearly, U. Minnesota has retreated from its open promotion of a racist program. We await formal confirmation that U. Minnesota has changed not only the website. This change that doesn’t end the problem, because there are students who have been denied an educational opportunity by the university on the basis of skin color. Will U. Minnesota reopen the application process? Will it add opportunities for those students who lost out? There is more to be done beyond dropping the racist advertising and program requirements.We will continue to pursue this matter, but for now, we’ll take the victory for equality and equal protection.
This story is not over. Guaranteed. There will be more, I’m just not certain if it will be before or after the holiday weekend.
This was the first time I had been in Kelly’s show, and I enjoyed it, even if my attempt to provide better lighting created a bit too much light. I’m still fiddling with this TV thing.
The segment was six minutes one-on-one. That gave us enough time to have a meaningful conversation and share our thoughts on how we got to this terrible point in the nation.
(emphasis added)
Kelly (00:00): William Jacobson is a law professor at Cornell University and the founder of equalprotect.org. That’s the Equal Protection Project, which is devoted to the fair treatment of all persons without regard to race or ethnicity. And they filed a complaint with the Department of Education. Sir, welcome to newsmax. How are you?
WAJ (00:18):
Good. Thanks for having me on.
Kelly (00:20): This does seem completely outrageous and strange and I’m so glad you’re involved. The Ivy League, I’m a little bit surprised <laugh> by that, that’s a good thing. Tell us your thoughts on this and what can be done.
WAJ (00:33): Well, it’s horrible, but it’s unfortunately becoming very common. At equalprotect.org we see a lot of these, almost every day we get a tip from people around the country about very similar open discrimination on the basis of race in the service of diversity, equity, and inclusion. For whatever the reason these universities, but not just universities, also companies, feel that as long as the racial discrimination is against whites, it’s okay, as opposed to other discrimination, which is bad. And of course that’s not true. It’s immoral and it’s illegal and we are fighting it.
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Kelly (03:40): Have you noticed that people, wealthier people, people with more education, tend to be the wokest of the lot. They’re really, cuz they want to retain their status and this is the way to do it. But the trickle down effect, you know, some kid who wants a $6,000 grant for the summer, wait a second. Like, this affects real people who are trying to make it. But I feel like the silly stuff is coming down from the top people who want to keep their power.
WAJ (04:07): I think that’s true and that’s a really good point. There are people involved here, there are white students at University of Minnesota who are being deprived of an educational opportunity and they did nothing wrong. What did they ever do to anybody? This is really some sort of noxious racial retribution that’s going on and you’re punishing people who never did anything wrong in their lives because of the color of their skin. That’s what the American Civil Rights Movement was against.
What we’re seeing is a very regressive movement. This is not a progressive movement. Even if they call themselves that, it’s a regressive movement. Taking us back to some very bad days where your lot in life was determined by the color of your skin and how you were treated was determined by the color of your skin. And we’ve got to fight back against it. And I think the majority of people in this country, of all races and ethnicities, know that what is happening in academia and corporate HR departments is wrong.
Kelly (05:05):
William Jacobson, professor of Law, Cornell University, I’m so glad you’re involved in this. Let’s go to equal protect.org equal protect.org for more information. Thank you very much, sir.
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