Did this white boy just say what i think he said?
Today, students enjoy Frisbee, football and cricket on the Quad. Back in 1870, fun on the Quad was all about lynching people. Doesn’t get much more fun than that, folks!
This is a quote from Over the Hill a program on Syracuse University’s student run television station, HillTV. Reporter Christopher Whalen was reflecting on the differences between the University today and when it was founded in 1870. His statement was juxtaposed with the image of a pubic lynching of two black men. Syracuse University’s “The Daily Orange” discusses the controversial television show here. I am currently in my second week of classes in the Pan-African Studies masters program here at Syracuse. What a warm welcome.
Since “Over the Hill” aired in 2005, it has been cancelled because of its controversial programs, then re-instated this April because (among other reasons) over 60 professors and faculty here have defended the show, stating that the decision to cancel the show,
damaged free speech and free press values as well as diversity values.
(see- Censored TV station at Syracuse back on air; free speech questions persist for the entire article). As far as I can tell, this issue has not left central New York, so I wanted to introduce the debate to the Blackademics forum. Is this a free speech issue? how can respect for “diversity values” condone hate speech? What does this reveal about race relations in the twenty-first century? Am i wrong for wanting to stomp out Christopher Whalen?
Published on September 6, 2006 at 11:01 am.
7 Comments.
Filed under racism, ridiculousness, academia.
