Disgusting but typical response for a call for prayer and unity from white supremacist Christian orgs. It’s infuriating and hypocritical. I hope the students, alums and community will hold them accountable.
The ultimate in hypocrisy. A pious call for unity when the university has split the campus down the middle. Claiming empathy for “a faculty member’s disappointment when a contract decision does not go as they had hoped” when the decision is obviously about the bare knuckled exercise of power. Espousing a commitment to “intercultural relations” while suppressing academic freedom and silencing a professor who is simply telling the truth about our nation’s history.
The students are the heroes here. They are also the consumers who are paying the salaries of the administrators who have so boldly and brazenly disrespected them while politicizing education in the most egregious way…
I’m echoing what others have said. My eyes rolled so hard I’m surprised they are still in my head. Typical response from the white man in charge. Condescending patriarchal response - “there’s so much that goes on with renewing contracts, you just wouldn’t understand.” Funny how the forums will avoid questions about their conduct towards Professor Moore - I hope they don’t get the peaceful unity anytime soon!
Thank you Dr. Tisby, for being a light and helping us see the truth!
I recognize in this letter a lack of good leadership -- and an abusive system: calls for unity, defensiveness, refusal to admit the possibility of having done wrong.
It’s such a tell when Lindsay uses “intercultural relations” and “diversity” in his second paragraph. It seems that actually using the word “race” is a bridge too far. Even the last phrase can only transcend ethnic divisions.
His response of "live in unity" is code words for "Shut up and sit down."
I hate to be so blunt, but it's true, and has always been true. "Unity" is often the cudgel wielded to silence dissent and disapproval. It's spiritual abuse, and sadly far too many kids AND adults are conditioned by their leaders to submit to nonsense and abuse in the name of "keeping the peace."
It's a terrible thing to figure out that you're wasting your money at a school that is interested in forcing your compliance when your only option is to leave.
When you figure out, though, that you are sheep to be shorn, perhaps you'll figure out that the cost of your integrity is worth more than the money you threw away to get an indoctrination.
I found this video on You Tube and thought it may be of interest to you. I have not seen this channel before. Sarah Dengler is a young Black woman and is not American. Her channel videos are of her first reactions to videos she sees of music or subjects or opinions she has not heard about. This video is her reaction to a video about the beginning of slave trading in America. I have heard most of these bits of history. There is also information about Alex Haley's comments on his book and movie "Roots" I had not heard that surprised me. Sarah seems very genuine in her reactions. I was also surprised about the comments she made concerning slavery and racism in America and the world. I know you are very busy but I hope you have a few minutes to watch it as I would like to know what your reaction is to her comments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=187mC2Rqygw
If you have time you might enjoy her first listening to The Righteous Brothers singing "Soul and Inspiration" I think it would put a smile on your face and in your heart. It did for me.
I do not have actual knowledge of the acts or omissions of the administration nor a relationship with Taylor university. Although what Prof. Moore has described (and documented) appears to be blatant misogyny and racism, those closer to the situation are in a better position to comment on those aspects. I will limit my comments to the President's letter and what purportedly led up to it. I will try to let Scripture indict him and those in the administration who may be complicit.
The first paragraph of the president's letter reads like his lawyer wrote it. If he wasn't obviously expecting litigation he should have specified which assertions he disagreed with and why. Otherwise, as Christians, how can the parties (the administration and Prof. Moore,) comply with the admonitions of Paul In 1Co 6:1-8. Because the administration apparently failed to respond to Prof. Moore properly, she had to take the steps outlined in Mat 18:15-16. When there was still no meaningful response, she used her letter to place the matter before the "ecclesia" of the university (and the universal church). This would be in accordance with Mat 18:17a. It remains to be seen if the administration should be regarded as described in verse 17b (heathen and tax collector). When the administration acts as unbelievers, the secular courts are available to a believer since the admonitions of 1Co 6:1-2 no longer apply. See Paul's appeal to Caesar against the unbelieving Jews, Acts 25:9-12 and its extensive context.
I am a pastor and CPA-Attorney, and was also an assistant professor of accounting (non-tenured) at Texas Southern University, a HBCU in Houston. There I was definitely treated most graciously by students, colleagues and the Dean of the business school even though I am white. To put the graciousness in perspective, let me tell you a personal story that shows how unexpected was the graciousness I received from people who had recently been on the receiving end of the evil of systemic “White Supremacy.” As the following history shows, there were lots of reasons why I might not have been well received. Despite the injustices perpetrated at TSU, they certainly did not judge me for having the same skin color as most of those who essentially shot up their campus, arrested many students who had been asleep in their beds, and then wrongfully charged other students with murder.
I started teaching at TSU in 1972, only five years after the so called TSU Riots of 1967. Several days of various protests had begun after a Black child drowned in a drainage pool, most of which were purposely located in predominately minority communities. Some students fresh off the protest were demonstrating on the TSU campus against the administration's termination of SNCC as an on campus organization. Alarmed that violence had been anonymously threatened, the police blockaded the streets around the campus and started trying to disband the protestors. At some point during the night, someone reported a shot or shots fired from the men's dorm. The police thought they were being fired on. Hundreds of predominately white officers began firing at the tall stone building that housed almost 500 Black students. There were no shots being fired from the dorm since most of the students had been asleep before the shooting started. They had to crawl under beds and throw up furniture barricades to avoid being shot. In all over 3000 rounds were fired at the dorm, One police officer was killed by what was eventually determined to be a ricocheted police bullet. Since there was no return fire from the dorm, the police entered and dragged out every Black resident they found, most still in their pajamas and underwear. The next few days I saw the pictures and news films of hundreds of young men lying on the ground waiting to be hauled off to jail, and then more pictures of them waiting to be booked. This was reportedly the largest mass arrest in Houston history. After fruitless inquiries of those arrested, they were eventually released. What few weapons found in the dorm were not .30 cal, the round used by police and the round that killed the young officer. Eventually they arrested and charged five Black student leaders, one of whom had been been arrested and jailed during the protest at the drainage pool the previous day. Another was fifty miles away the night the police shot up the dorm. The other three had been actively trying to calm the crowd of protestors while standing with the police. It was obvious to me that there was no evidence to convict (or for that matter even to charge) these five men who came to be known as the TSU Five. Yet the courts and the DA kept them dangling for three years before they finally dismissed their case in 1970 for lack of evidence..
I have some personal knowledge of this situation because one of the TSU Five was my old college roommate, Charles Freeman. In 1965, he was the very first Black man to ever enroll at Rice University as an undergraduate. Unfortunately we both flunked out at the same time at the end of 1966. Interestingly, Charles had scored an 800 (100th percentile) on all five College SAT Exams (i.e., he was a lot smarter than me and most, if not all the others in our class). But, as an example of what I consider to be “white privilege, I was quickly re-admitted under special probation, but Charles was not. In fact, the administration kept requiring him to jump through a series of academic hoops to remain enrolled and eventually he enrolled at TSU. Charles eventually became a lawyer, vexing quite a few racist judges, not to mention assistant DAs, while representing high profile criminal defendants. I am not revealing any confidences, since all this has been published in various sources or is known publicly by his classmates . Charles passed away from pancreatic cancer after a short illness. It was only a year or so after I last saw him and his family. We celebrated his life at our 50th class reunion.
Disclaimer: My comments are theological or historical in nature and should not be construed as legal advice by anyone for any purpose.
Leadership, when challenged, most-often gets it wrong. Defense mechanisms kick in and take the posture that we will not be told what we can and cannot do. I took about an hour and dove into Taylor to see what I could see regarding diversity. Small school, 2,100 students or so located about 70 miles north of Indianapolis Indiana, founded in 1846 as an all-female college. The letter from the president includes a couple of interesting statements; "we will engage in conversations about these issues"..."we will not comment on the individual personal matter.", Mr. President, this is the issue. A good PR strategy would say to have open, but controlled, forums. They will speak to the Black Student Union and other forms of "diversity". Did I mention there are only 54 Black young adults at the school, 2.5%. The BSU invites the opportunity to celebrate black culture (who wrote that?), do they, should they, mean American culture? It's an academic that requires high entry scores. Nothing wrong with high academic requirements but in the context of diversity and the gospel...Jesus didn't check my ACT score, or yours. I took a look a look at Fort Wayne and Indianapolis demographics which show blacks at about 15% for Fort Wayne and 29% for Indianaoplis there is little diversity from the community. All my years of leadership has taught me to embrace the truth first for what it is. It takes courage to tell the truth and it takes courage to live on the side of the truth. It is weakness to run from the truth or mask it as some other acronym. Looking at the board, Prevost, and other leadership individuals of Taylor I don't see much diversity. What an opportunity exists right now to bring the community together. See you at the forum.....
Disgusting but typical response for a call for prayer and unity from white supremacist Christian orgs. It’s infuriating and hypocritical. I hope the students, alums and community will hold them accountable.
Same old, same old. Calls for unity and diversity without repentance. No mention of the protocols broken or overtly political undertones.
Thank you, Jemar and Julie, for your courage.
The ultimate in hypocrisy. A pious call for unity when the university has split the campus down the middle. Claiming empathy for “a faculty member’s disappointment when a contract decision does not go as they had hoped” when the decision is obviously about the bare knuckled exercise of power. Espousing a commitment to “intercultural relations” while suppressing academic freedom and silencing a professor who is simply telling the truth about our nation’s history.
The students are the heroes here. They are also the consumers who are paying the salaries of the administrators who have so boldly and brazenly disrespected them while politicizing education in the most egregious way…
I’m echoing what others have said. My eyes rolled so hard I’m surprised they are still in my head. Typical response from the white man in charge. Condescending patriarchal response - “there’s so much that goes on with renewing contracts, you just wouldn’t understand.” Funny how the forums will avoid questions about their conduct towards Professor Moore - I hope they don’t get the peaceful unity anytime soon!
Thank you Dr. Tisby, for being a light and helping us see the truth!
I recognize in this letter a lack of good leadership -- and an abusive system: calls for unity, defensiveness, refusal to admit the possibility of having done wrong.
It’s such a tell when Lindsay uses “intercultural relations” and “diversity” in his second paragraph. It seems that actually using the word “race” is a bridge too far. Even the last phrase can only transcend ethnic divisions.
That's called, "The power of the pen." Your story and his response will cause people to do their own research. That's a positive outcome!
His response of "live in unity" is code words for "Shut up and sit down."
I hate to be so blunt, but it's true, and has always been true. "Unity" is often the cudgel wielded to silence dissent and disapproval. It's spiritual abuse, and sadly far too many kids AND adults are conditioned by their leaders to submit to nonsense and abuse in the name of "keeping the peace."
It's a terrible thing to figure out that you're wasting your money at a school that is interested in forcing your compliance when your only option is to leave.
When you figure out, though, that you are sheep to be shorn, perhaps you'll figure out that the cost of your integrity is worth more than the money you threw away to get an indoctrination.
He never once mentioned her name. He'll try to hide behind his "statement", but I see another lawsuit and another firing in the making.
Dr. Tisby,
I found this video on You Tube and thought it may be of interest to you. I have not seen this channel before. Sarah Dengler is a young Black woman and is not American. Her channel videos are of her first reactions to videos she sees of music or subjects or opinions she has not heard about. This video is her reaction to a video about the beginning of slave trading in America. I have heard most of these bits of history. There is also information about Alex Haley's comments on his book and movie "Roots" I had not heard that surprised me. Sarah seems very genuine in her reactions. I was also surprised about the comments she made concerning slavery and racism in America and the world. I know you are very busy but I hope you have a few minutes to watch it as I would like to know what your reaction is to her comments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=187mC2Rqygw
If you have time you might enjoy her first listening to The Righteous Brothers singing "Soul and Inspiration" I think it would put a smile on your face and in your heart. It did for me.
Sincerely,
Sandra Taylor
I do not have actual knowledge of the acts or omissions of the administration nor a relationship with Taylor university. Although what Prof. Moore has described (and documented) appears to be blatant misogyny and racism, those closer to the situation are in a better position to comment on those aspects. I will limit my comments to the President's letter and what purportedly led up to it. I will try to let Scripture indict him and those in the administration who may be complicit.
The first paragraph of the president's letter reads like his lawyer wrote it. If he wasn't obviously expecting litigation he should have specified which assertions he disagreed with and why. Otherwise, as Christians, how can the parties (the administration and Prof. Moore,) comply with the admonitions of Paul In 1Co 6:1-8. Because the administration apparently failed to respond to Prof. Moore properly, she had to take the steps outlined in Mat 18:15-16. When there was still no meaningful response, she used her letter to place the matter before the "ecclesia" of the university (and the universal church). This would be in accordance with Mat 18:17a. It remains to be seen if the administration should be regarded as described in verse 17b (heathen and tax collector). When the administration acts as unbelievers, the secular courts are available to a believer since the admonitions of 1Co 6:1-2 no longer apply. See Paul's appeal to Caesar against the unbelieving Jews, Acts 25:9-12 and its extensive context.
I am a pastor and CPA-Attorney, and was also an assistant professor of accounting (non-tenured) at Texas Southern University, a HBCU in Houston. There I was definitely treated most graciously by students, colleagues and the Dean of the business school even though I am white. To put the graciousness in perspective, let me tell you a personal story that shows how unexpected was the graciousness I received from people who had recently been on the receiving end of the evil of systemic “White Supremacy.” As the following history shows, there were lots of reasons why I might not have been well received. Despite the injustices perpetrated at TSU, they certainly did not judge me for having the same skin color as most of those who essentially shot up their campus, arrested many students who had been asleep in their beds, and then wrongfully charged other students with murder.
I started teaching at TSU in 1972, only five years after the so called TSU Riots of 1967. Several days of various protests had begun after a Black child drowned in a drainage pool, most of which were purposely located in predominately minority communities. Some students fresh off the protest were demonstrating on the TSU campus against the administration's termination of SNCC as an on campus organization. Alarmed that violence had been anonymously threatened, the police blockaded the streets around the campus and started trying to disband the protestors. At some point during the night, someone reported a shot or shots fired from the men's dorm. The police thought they were being fired on. Hundreds of predominately white officers began firing at the tall stone building that housed almost 500 Black students. There were no shots being fired from the dorm since most of the students had been asleep before the shooting started. They had to crawl under beds and throw up furniture barricades to avoid being shot. In all over 3000 rounds were fired at the dorm, One police officer was killed by what was eventually determined to be a ricocheted police bullet. Since there was no return fire from the dorm, the police entered and dragged out every Black resident they found, most still in their pajamas and underwear. The next few days I saw the pictures and news films of hundreds of young men lying on the ground waiting to be hauled off to jail, and then more pictures of them waiting to be booked. This was reportedly the largest mass arrest in Houston history. After fruitless inquiries of those arrested, they were eventually released. What few weapons found in the dorm were not .30 cal, the round used by police and the round that killed the young officer. Eventually they arrested and charged five Black student leaders, one of whom had been been arrested and jailed during the protest at the drainage pool the previous day. Another was fifty miles away the night the police shot up the dorm. The other three had been actively trying to calm the crowd of protestors while standing with the police. It was obvious to me that there was no evidence to convict (or for that matter even to charge) these five men who came to be known as the TSU Five. Yet the courts and the DA kept them dangling for three years before they finally dismissed their case in 1970 for lack of evidence..
I have some personal knowledge of this situation because one of the TSU Five was my old college roommate, Charles Freeman. In 1965, he was the very first Black man to ever enroll at Rice University as an undergraduate. Unfortunately we both flunked out at the same time at the end of 1966. Interestingly, Charles had scored an 800 (100th percentile) on all five College SAT Exams (i.e., he was a lot smarter than me and most, if not all the others in our class). But, as an example of what I consider to be “white privilege, I was quickly re-admitted under special probation, but Charles was not. In fact, the administration kept requiring him to jump through a series of academic hoops to remain enrolled and eventually he enrolled at TSU. Charles eventually became a lawyer, vexing quite a few racist judges, not to mention assistant DAs, while representing high profile criminal defendants. I am not revealing any confidences, since all this has been published in various sources or is known publicly by his classmates . Charles passed away from pancreatic cancer after a short illness. It was only a year or so after I last saw him and his family. We celebrated his life at our 50th class reunion.
Disclaimer: My comments are theological or historical in nature and should not be construed as legal advice by anyone for any purpose.
Rod Norville, ThM, JD
Leadership, when challenged, most-often gets it wrong. Defense mechanisms kick in and take the posture that we will not be told what we can and cannot do. I took about an hour and dove into Taylor to see what I could see regarding diversity. Small school, 2,100 students or so located about 70 miles north of Indianapolis Indiana, founded in 1846 as an all-female college. The letter from the president includes a couple of interesting statements; "we will engage in conversations about these issues"..."we will not comment on the individual personal matter.", Mr. President, this is the issue. A good PR strategy would say to have open, but controlled, forums. They will speak to the Black Student Union and other forms of "diversity". Did I mention there are only 54 Black young adults at the school, 2.5%. The BSU invites the opportunity to celebrate black culture (who wrote that?), do they, should they, mean American culture? It's an academic that requires high entry scores. Nothing wrong with high academic requirements but in the context of diversity and the gospel...Jesus didn't check my ACT score, or yours. I took a look a look at Fort Wayne and Indianapolis demographics which show blacks at about 15% for Fort Wayne and 29% for Indianaoplis there is little diversity from the community. All my years of leadership has taught me to embrace the truth first for what it is. It takes courage to tell the truth and it takes courage to live on the side of the truth. It is weakness to run from the truth or mask it as some other acronym. Looking at the board, Prevost, and other leadership individuals of Taylor I don't see much diversity. What an opportunity exists right now to bring the community together. See you at the forum.....