A University of Southern California professor of history named Lois Banner recently set off a firestorm of liberal outrage by suggesting that her career would have been easier if she was black and a lesbian.
Banner made the comments at a conference of women historians, sending some attendees to the fainting couch. She has also refused to apologize, further angering her critics.
The Daily Mail reports:
White USC professor, 83, refuses to apologize after saying her career would have been better if she was black and lesbian – prompting attendees at female historians conference to walk outA white USC professor is under fire after she said during a recent conference that her career and life would be easier if she were black and a lesbian.Lois Banner, a professor emerita of women’s history at the University of Southern California, spoke during the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians on Friday.Banner, 83, reportedly said she wished she were a lesbian because they had great communities and that her career would have been better if she were black.’You won’t change my mind, I’m 84 years old,’ Banner allegedly said, refusing to apologize. Her words were shared by Stephanie Narrow, a student in attendance.According to conference guests, Banner’s antics came just moments after a black professor had spoken on racism and exclusion in the academic space.
Is she wrong, or did she just say one of those uncomfortable truths that people aren’t supposed to say out loud?
The left is very angry about this. From The Root:
The speaker who followed Banner was a Black woman, Deirdre Cooper Owens, who denounced what Banner said in person as well as on social media. “The Berks Conference was a beautiful one until it was soiled by Lois Banner’s hatefully racist comments. Yes, I did speak out forcefully against her vitriol because she needed to keep Black women’s name out of her mouth.”
This is from Newsone:
What do you call an octogenarian white woman and professor of history who believes her decades-long career would have been easier if she were born a Black woman? Do you call her delusional? Racist? A delusional racist? Is she a Bizarro World critical race theorist? Is that why she’s an apparent historian of the imaginary Reverse Jim Crow era?Anyway, meet Lois Banner.
There was even an ’emergency listening session’ over this.
The conference organizers have been falling all over themselves to respond.
Inside Higher Ed reports:
The Berkshire Conference of Women Historians is an acclaimed meeting for female historians. It was founded in 1973, and its meetings attract a who’s who of women in the field of history.This year, a racially inflammatory comment by a senior faculty member in women’s history during an opening plenary session on Friday inflamed the meeting. The faculty member in question was Lois Banner, professor emerita of history at the University of Southern California.The conference posted three tweets in response.The first, on Friday night, was “The Berks officers do not condone or support the inappropriate remarks made by one of the speakers tonight. A formal statement from the presidents will be made after the break.”The second, on Saturday: “Please join the officers & trustees of the Berks to discuss the 50th anniversary plenary & your thoughts of how the organization can move forward to create an inclusive space for diverse histories and historians of diverse backgrounds.”The third, on Saturday: “Thank you for those who gave their time, thoughts and input at the meeting today. The board and trustees listened, took careful notes, and are planning action. The conversation is not over and the board will have a statement and a concrete action plan soon.”
The far left rules higher education, then turns around and acts like they’re all oppressed victims. Is there any wonder why Elizabeth Warren pretended to be a minority in order to advance her academic career?
Isn’t Elizabeth Warren proof that Banner is right?
Featured image via YouTube.
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