A Note on the Unjust Firing of Dr. Tabia Lee

Erec SmithLast week, a friend, colleague, and co ‐​Founder ofFree Black Thought was ousted from her position atFoothills ‐​De Anza Community College in California. Dr. Tabia Lee ’s transgression: asking questions about DEI initiatives, fighting for viewpoint diversity, and upholding classical liberal values. (Lee explains herself in a video put out by theFoundation Against Intolerance and Racism.)According to anInside Higher Ed article, her alleged insubordination included the following acts:“She questioned antiracist ‘orthodoxy,’ objected to the college’s land acknowledgments for an Indigenous tribe [because she wanted to include information recommended by the tribe, itself], tried to bring a ‘Jewish inclusion’ event to campus, declined to join a ‘socialist network,’ re fused to use the gender‐​neutral terms ‘Latinx’ and ‘Filipinx,’ [which are not accepted by many in theLatino andFilipino community] inquired why the word ‘Black’ was capitalized but not ‘white,’ and allegedly disrespected a founder of the Black Lives Matter movement. ”She was even accused of white supremacy for suggesting an agenda for a meeting on diversity. Why? Because agenda ‐​setting is an aspect of whiteness and, therefore, racist to expect from people of color.For these actions, Lee was accused, in official documents, of a“Persistent inability to demonstrate cooperation in working with colleagues and staff,” and an “Unwilling...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs