Posted on 12/24/2006 7:55:37 AM PST by Graybeard58
BOSTON -- A black professor at MIT has threatened to go on a hunger strike and "die defiantly" outside the provost's office if the university does not grant him tenure, which he said was denied because of racism.
For two years, stem cell scientist James L. Sherley has asked senior administrators at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to overturn the decision by his department head not to put him forward for tenure. On Monday, he was told by provost L. Rafael Reif that the decision would stand.
"I will either see the provost resign and my hard-earned tenure granted at MIT, or I will die defiantly right outside his office," Sherley wrote in a letter he circulated this week among the MIT faculty.
Shirley said if MIT fails to take action, he'll start his hunger strikeFeb. 5.
"This is the strength of my conviction that racism in (America) must end," Sherley wrote. "What better place to kill a small part of it than at a great institution like MIT."
Sherley, who is known for his controversial theories about stem cells, works with adult stem cells and opposes research using human embryonic stem cells because he believes it amounts to taking human life.
In September, he won a prestigious Pioneer Award from the National Institutes of Health. The $2.5 million grant is for scientists taking innovative approaches to biomedical problems.
MIT grants tenure to less than half of its junior professors. It has struggled to recruit non-Asian minority professors, who are scarce in most science and engineering programs.
In a statement, MIT told the Globe it can't comment on tenure decisions.
"MIT has a well-established procedure for reviewing and granting tenure to faculty," the statement said. "This process is thorough and extensive, and we are confident it was followed with integrity in this case."
In his letter, Sherley accused former MIT provost Robert A. Brown of making a racist remark that was reported to him by a colleague.
A spokesman for Brown, now president of Boston University, said the charges are completely untrue.
In an interview with the Globe, Sherley said he's been approached about other job opportunities. But he said MIT would not be forced to acknowledge racism if he left.
I'm not doing this because I can't bear not to get tenure at MIT," he said. "The things that have happened are racism. I've lived with this for 48 years, and I just have to do something about it."
Let him starve rather then use extortion.
"Sherley, who is known for his controversial theories about stem cells, works with adult stem cells and opposes research using human embryonic stem cells because he believes it amounts to taking human life."
Give a lunatic a life-time job teaching young people at MIT
or
Not.
At first glance anyway, this man sounds more noble than Ghandi.
I second the notion.
Sounds to me like the problem is that he has (at least with regards to stem cells) a sense of ethics and morals. I would say this is of much greater concern to MIT than his race.
This isn't extortion, this is forcing the issue and there is a huge difference.
there are not enough facts in the story, we have no idea "why" he wasn't granted tenure, but if he didn't make hi stand on it, no one would have ever heard of Prof Sherly.
I wish him well though.
My breakfast omelet, with ham,cheese,sausage, jalapeños,onions, tomatoes and green peppers, along with biscuits and milk gravy tastes better now.
this piece written by Sherley seems to support your observation......it occurs to me that denying him tenure might be due to this......and that if he wishes to play the race card instead, he will do more to silence himself than he counts on.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=548808
My initial reaction, too, but after reading the whole story, it appears this may not be what it seems at first glance. Looks like the real reason they won't grant him tenure is the nature of his research. Of course, he's wrong to scream racism.
let him starve and die....
is he another affirmative action lib/dem appointee????
if yes...there should be plenty more to replace him!!!!
You ought to read the article two posts up. This may be political payback to this guy.
He may indeed be roadkill for the pc crowd.
Academic freedom only works for liberals.
Yeah, this is a tough one to me.
1. He is much more likely being denied tenure at MIT due to his view on stem cells than his race. This makes me think he could have been wrongly denied tenure.
2. Playing the race card is very distasteful. [Particularly when on the face of it, the race card is likely wrong here.] This makes want to have no sympathy for him.
Ummmmmmmm do we get to vote?
"Give me tenure or give me death" ???
He should just hold his breath until they give in. Maybe jump up and down too.
OK, that got my attention. It is a shame he is playing the race card and not considering that the real reason tenure was denied is his "heresy."
When he was a child I suppose he held his breath until he turned blue and I bet it worked on his mother.
Well, MIT is not his mama, he needs to grow up.
But how much you want to bet MIT caves?
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