Cancelling Dr. Seuss

[Wahoo Redux]

NYT: A White Author's Book About Black Feminism Was Pulled After a Social Media Outcry

The book "Bad and Boujee" centers on Black women's experience, but critics said it was written by a white professor and was flawed in its execution.

The blurb for the book "Bad and Boujee: Toward a Trap Feminist Theology" says that it "engages with the overlap of Black experience, hip-hop music, ethics and feminism to focus on a subsection known as 'trap feminism.'"

But the book, written by Jennifer M. Buck, a white academic at a Christian university, was criticized by some authors and theologians as academically flawed, with deeply problematic passages, including repeated references to the ghetto. The project was also widely condemned on social media as poorly executed and as an example of cultural appropriation.

In response to the criticism, the book's publisher, Wipf and Stock Publishers, decided on Wednesday that it would pull the title from circulation.

[Wahoo Redux]

Saint Vincent Debates Whether Speech Was Racist

Azerrad told Inside Higher Ed via email, "You have seen a version of this unfold an untold number of times on our college campuses: a speaker says something perfectly sensible on race (in my case, a defense of colorblindness and a denunciation of preferential treatment), most in attendance are in full agreement, a handful disagree loudly (albeit without offering any counterarguments beyond their indignation that someone deviated from the accepted script when talking about race), and the university administration cowers before their indignation."

[Wahoo Redux]

Texas A&M, America's Largest College, Won't Say Why It Defunded Its Campus Drag Show

When Texas A&M University held its first-ever drag show two years ago, it was met with resistance almost immediately. Right-wing student groups lobbied to shut it down, collecting over 1,800 signatures on a Change.org petition claiming the February 2020 event would foster a "climate of degradation" on campus. Dozens of protesters gathered outside Texas A&M's Rudder Auditorium holding signs reading "God Created Them Male and Female" and "Texans Reject Transgender Tyranny."

The backlash was even worse the following year. A petition referring to the show—dubbed "Draggieland" in a reference to the college's nickname–as "sinful" and "immoral" this time attracted nearly 20,000 signatures. It was accompanied by an even larger rally. Daniel Hou, the executive showrunner of Draggieland 2022, says protesters flicked holy water at LGBTQ+ students with their fingers.

[Wahoo Redux]

White Principal Claims She Was Bullied Into Quitting After Racist 'Slip of the Tongue'

Former assistant principal Emily Mais complains about "reverse racism" in a lawsuit claiming she was abused for using the term "colored people."

During the last training session in June 2021, the lawsuit says Mais accidentally used the term "colored people" instead of "people of color" while making a comment during the presentation. The suit claims Mais immediately apologized for the derogatory term but was verbally attacked by a teaching aide for her poor word choice. Mais was then asked to attend meetings with the school guidance counselor, an equity specialist, and the district's superintendent and assistant superintendents.

Same story:

Ex-school official sues Virginia board over anti-racism training

[Wahoo Redux]

Students Give School Board 'Wokeness Checker' an Earful After Anti-Migrant Crusade

"Most are from South America," she claimed. "Our ESL budget has increased over $1 million in two years. Continuing to educate South Americans is not sustainable."

Manning's comments caused her to lose her newly-awarded post with a government working group focused on innovative education methods for schools in Virginia. She was specifically selected for the group by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state Education Secretary Aimee Guidera.

"We wholly condemn Mrs. Manning's comments," Guidera previously told The Daily Beast. "They are completely unacceptable and are in absolute opposition to the Youngkin administration's commitment to educate and prepare every child in the Commonwealth for success in life. Victoria Manning will no longer participate in our working group."

[Parasaurolophus]

I tried to pull The Shape of Me and Other Stuff off the shelf yesterday, to read to the hatchling, but alas it had been cancelled, and no alternatives given.

[jimbogumbo]

In Florida, a list of banned books, including Everywhere Babies: https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/status/1516899552426700804/photo/1

[mahagonny]

In Florida, a list of banned books, including Everywhere Babies: https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/status/1516899552426700804/photo/1

it's another feather in the hat of the writer to get banned. She's got more notoriety now. for a work that probably required zero imagination.

'"And I thought, 'Oh, my God, I'm banned! Wow!' I mean, I've been following all this book-banning stuff and wondering what is wrong with these people," she said. "And they're only bringing more attention to these books — there are plenty of people who will then seek them out and want to read them. So I wasn't really upset."

'"Authoritarian and fascist communities, this is what they always go for, they always burn the books. It actually shows the power of books," she said. "If they didn't have any power, they wouldn't be burning or banning them. So that's one thing to remember and celebrate: The power of books."'

So self-dramatizing.

Maybe your book just sucks. Maybe the library or the school system doesn't have to endorse it because there is nothing special about you. Your work has been ignored, declined.

https://news.yahoo.com/everywhere-babies-picture-book-celebrating-183843897.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

[Caracal]

In Florida, a list of banned books, including Everywhere Babies: https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/status/1516899552426700804/photo/1

it's another feather in the hat of the writer to get banned. She's got more notoriety now. for a work that probably required zero imagination.

'"And I thought, 'Oh, my God, I'm banned! Wow!' I mean, I've been following all this book-banning stuff and wondering what is wrong with these people," she said. "And they're only bringing more attention to these books — there are plenty of people who will then seek them out and want to read them. So I wasn't really upset."

'"Authoritarian and fascist communities, this is what they always go for, they always burn the books. It actually shows the power of books," she said. "If they didn't have any power, they wouldn't be burning or banning them. So that's one thing to remember and celebrate: The power of books."'

So self-dramatizing.

Maybe your book just sucks. Maybe the library or the school system doesn't have to endorse it because there is nothing special about you. Your work has been ignored, declined.

https://news.yahoo.com/everywhere-babies-picture-book-celebrating-183843897.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

Good lord, this is dumb. You wouldn't think you could fit so many ridiculous statements into just a few short sentences, but he's done it. Its intellectually dishonest and foolish at the the same time with a dash of self important blather thrown in.

[mahagonny]

In Florida, a list of banned books, including Everywhere Babies: https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/status/1516899552426700804/photo/1

it's another feather in the hat of the writer to get banned. She's got more notoriety now. for a work that probably required zero imagination.

'"And I thought, 'Oh, my God, I'm banned! Wow!' I mean, I've been following all this book-banning stuff and wondering what is wrong with these people," she said. "And they're only bringing more attention to these books — there are plenty of people who will then seek them out and want to read them. So I wasn't really upset."

'"Authoritarian and fascist communities, this is what they always go for, they always burn the books. It actually shows the power of books," she said. "If they didn't have any power, they wouldn't be burning or banning them. So that's one thing to remember and celebrate: The power of books."'

So self-dramatizing.

Maybe your book just sucks. Maybe the library or the school system doesn't have to endorse it because there is nothing special about you. Your work has been ignored, declined.

https://news.yahoo.com/everywhere-babies-picture-book-celebrating-183843897.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr

Good lord, this is dumb. You wouldn't think you could fit so many ridiculous statements into just a few short sentences, but he's done it. Its intellectually dishonest and foolish at the the same time with a dash of self important blather thrown in.

'They' have done it. You refuse to use my preferred pronouns. You are hateful.

I haven't seen the book. <snip> Can't remember the title.

The whole business could be properly regulated by a constitutional amendment that enshrines the principles of family vales and common sense. The Amendment would make unconstitutional any assault on family values, or lack of common sense over a certain threshold. It would establish and permanently fund the Department of Common Sense and Family Values comprised of formally trained experts and no political appointees. The Department would be responsible for preclearing all local, state and federal public policies, statements and personnel to ensure they won't undermine families or common sense.

https://www.politico.com/interactives/2019/how-to-fix-politics-in-america/inequality/pass-an-anti-racist-constitutional-amendment/

Go looking for a culture war and you may just find one.

[Caracal]

I haven't seen the book. <snip> Can't remember the title.

What a weird creep. Is there some particular reason we should keep letting this stuff be on here?

[Parasaurolophus]

I haven't seen the book. <snip> Can't remember the title.

What a weird creep. Is there some particular reason we should keep letting this stuff be on here?

Vociferous opposition to meaningful moderation, coupled with very little vocal support for more muscular interventions.

I'm all for it, but I don't want to unilaterally impose standards on a community that doesn't want them. If there's renewed appetite for it, I'd be happy to draw up revised guidelines and put them to you all for feedback, however. I certainly think it'd be an improvement.

[Caracal]

I haven't seen the book. <snip> Can't remember the title.

What a weird creep. Is there some particular reason we should keep letting this stuff be on here?

Vociferous opposition to meaningful moderation, coupled with very little vocal support for more muscular interventions.

I'm all for it, but I don't want to unilaterally impose standards on a community that doesn't want them. If there's renewed appetite for it, I'd be happy to draw up revised guidelines and put them to you all for feedback, however. I certainly think it'd be an improvement.

Fair enough.

[Wahoo Redux]

I think a certain somebody's psyche is unraveling. 

[Wahoo Redux]

CHE: 'Campus Reform' and a Clash Over an Assignment on Whiteness at BYU

Last month a Brigham Young University professor went to bat for a colleague who was facing criticism over a class assignment she gave about whiteness. That led to an online scuffle between the professor and two conservative students running an Instagram account. Then the professor, like many others before him, became swept up in a right-wing media frenzy over course materials.

But the case of Eric Ruiz Bybee, an associate professor of multicultural education, is unusual: Bybee invoked BYU's strict honor code as leverage against the students, which he said he did to protect his colleague and her course materials. The students, meanwhile, feel that Bybee unfairly targeted them.

Another example of conservative snowflakes starting a fight and then crying to the principal? 

A survey last year by the American Association of University Professors found that 40 percent of professors who'd been featured on the right-wing news site had fielded threatening messages after the articles ran, including over email, by phone, in letters, and on social media. Some professors have developed their own protocols for how to deal with the fallout that comes with appearing on the site.

Another example of conservative menace?