Posted on 07/25/2022 8:42:13 AM PDT by Brookhaven
A reader writes:
A relative I haven’t spoken to in years is fraudulently applying to my department at a large university. To put it simply, this is a potential Rachael Dolezal situation. “Connie” is applying for a research and teaching position in my department. Her mother was married to my uncle for about 15 years and for 15 years I spent most weekends and every holiday and summer with Connie. We were quite close as kids.
For full clarity: Connie is white. She is not an immigrant, she is not adopted, and both of her parents come from white, American multi-generational wealth. There is not a hospital, museum, or major university in our city without her family name on at least one building. Her mother and my uncle got divorced quite a while ago, but our mothers are still very good friends. Connie and I lost touch as we grew up but reconnected on social media a few years ago.
When we were introduced in the interview, she pretended not to know me. During her team interview with me, two department chairs, and four other faculty, Connie spoke passionately about being a white-passing woman of color who has to confront racism daily, and how her past struggles with an impoverished upbringing as an immigrant in the U.S. have shaped her teaching values. I was speechless the entire time. Her resume is impressive, which makes me concerned she’s been lying to get certain grants/opportunities or that her resume is false.
The two department chairs were very impressed with her, a few people are neutral, and the rest seemed uncomfortable during the interview and passed on notes saying such. How do I approach this? I’m struggling with ethics vs optics: it’s unethical to put Connie forward as a voice for an underrepresented student population and an expert on certain racial and social justice movements and issues. My mentor (an older white male) told me to stay out of it because the optics are poor. I’m white, and I have had a privileged life that allows me to live comfortably on an academic salary. It would look like I’m attacking a candidate based on race in a predominantly white department. Regardless of optics, I would be complicit in this unethical situation if I didn’t say anything and she’s offered the job. So far nobody else has been invited to interview.
Hearing “Liz” and “lap” in the same sentence makes me a bit queasy.
“her past struggles with an impoverished upbringing”
Dear Colleagues,
I believe Connie is a relative of mine, but I may be mistaken. It is my understanding that the Connie I knew lived in an affluent household her entire childhood....
I think that you misunderstood my intent with my comments.
“So which God to you pray to to justify the immorality of affirmative action?”
I find “affirmative action(s)” to be as vile and evil as the complete entirety of the Communist/Socialist/democRAT Agenda. The individual in question should not have to wonder whether or not they should speak up about what their “cousin” is/was contemplating.
“Tolerating Bad Behavior” is something that I personally will NOT Tolerate. From anybody for any reason.
“Tolerating Bad Behavior”
The pressure in today’s world is from the left/Commie bastard teachers who stress to not be judgmental of others, no matter what they are doing. “Look the other way, mind your own business.” “It is OK to think that you are the opposite sex!”
This person has to ask our Forum for advice?
It is a code to live by, that you will not cheat or tolerate anyone that does. This code is to be applied in all instances.
When Elizabeth Warren applied for a job at Harvard citing that she was of Indian/Native American heritage, no one questioned that fact? Just because she was told that “high cheek bones were proof that she was part Indian,” did not make it true.
If I was King, I would destroy all applications that asked any question concerning color, race, sex, ethnicity, age, etc.
The only questions should be about education and experience.
Excellent suggestion.
I've seen your printing press at New Echota.
This sounds like the column author made it up.
That is an important point. While it may be very likely that "Connie" is in fact related to the OP, she might also be the identical twin to "Connie" who was separated at birth. If you have ever watched those shows that locate missing relatives you know just about anything is possible.
But with the Five Civilized Tribes it's usually true even when the claimant doesn't know it.
I had a friend in high school who was one quarter Choctaw and his Grandfather had been the Choctaw Sheriff in Broken Bow, OK. His mother was a "Louisiana Creole" which only meant she could tan easily every summer. He married a classmate of ours who's family came from the old world India, but they were and are both devout Presbyterians. Their slightly darker skin came from a few different directions.
My wife had a relative on the Dawes Rolls but when I finally looked her up it said she was one eighth and the Dawes Rolls were compiled three or four generations ago. But that was a factor in my wife being drop dead gorgeous.
The first one in the territory was over at Dwight Mission.
How did you discern the letter writer is a woman?
It worked for Fauxcahontas.
What’s the problem? According to the current narrative, men are women if they say so, so why not the same for being black?
The “reader” is missing the obvious: Tell the cousin you are not going to risk your career by participating in her ethnicity expropriation scam. You need for her to do the right thing, which is to bow out from contention for the job gracefully. Ask her to commit to doing so within one hour.
Dear Penthouse. . .
If women can claim to be men, a white can claim to be black.
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