Spring Break
Cultivate community of critical thought
By: Robyn Wiegman
Issue date: 10/25/06 Section: Letters
Last update: 10/25/06 at 8:36 AM EST
Last update: 10/25/06 at 8:36 AM EST
- Page 1 of 1
I read with amazement Tuesday's Chronicle and the opinion by my colleague Steven Baldwin, who finds the faculty response to the Duke lacrosse scandal one that warrants their being "tarred and feathered, ridden out of town on a rail and removed from the academy." In a guest column in the same issue as a story about the panel at the law school last Friday, in which many participants proclaimed the over emphasis of media reportage of race, class, gender and privilege last spring, one can only wonder what symbolic world is being culled here and denied all at once?
Being tarred and feathered is the language of lynching, and the practice of lynching was rarely one that eventuated in a court case of any kind, let alone one in which the defendants claim 10 minutes on one of the most important television programs in the United States. My disappointment in Duke right now is that it wants to avoid the analysis of the language and history of race, instead of using this moment-in its broad social implications-to actually study it. We can all have our opinions about the court case, but the time now is for engaging, as a university, the harder project of cultivating a community of actors who value and perform studied critical thought. Journalism can aspire to that as well.
Robyn Wiegman
Margaret Taylor Smith Director Women's Studies
Professor, Women's Studies and Literature
Being tarred and feathered is the language of lynching, and the practice of lynching was rarely one that eventuated in a court case of any kind, let alone one in which the defendants claim 10 minutes on one of the most important television programs in the United States. My disappointment in Duke right now is that it wants to avoid the analysis of the language and history of race, instead of using this moment-in its broad social implications-to actually study it. We can all have our opinions about the court case, but the time now is for engaging, as a university, the harder project of cultivating a community of actors who value and perform studied critical thought. Journalism can aspire to that as well.
Robyn Wiegman
Margaret Taylor Smith Director Women's Studies
Professor, Women's Studies and Literature
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 24
Duke parent
posted 10/25/06 @ 9:20 AM EST
So let me get this straight. After Mr. Baldwin's excellent commentary about the horrific treatment of these students by their own university, the only point that stood out to you was the "tar and feather" comment. (Continued…)
roaslie
posted 10/25/06 @ 9:32 AM EST
Can you all come off your high horses?? "Oh my! Watch my words" Did I offend anyone with High Horse????" Wake up to the real world.. Stop being so darned picky and sensitive. (Continued…)
Deborah S.
posted 10/25/06 @ 10:02 AM EST
Ms. Wiegman,
I do not know how old you are or where you are from, but I am in my late fifties, from the south, went to college in the south and have NEVER heard the "tarred and feathered" comment having ANY racial overtones whatsoever. (Continued…)
LA Alumnus
posted 10/25/06 @ 12:15 PM EST
Thanks to Prof. Baldwin for articulating how ridiculous the whole debate has become.
Thanks to Prof. Baldwin for identifying yet again how simply awful the Group of 88 has been for the University community. (Continued…)
Christopher V.
posted 10/25/06 @ 12:52 PM EST
Professpr Wiegman, you appear to have quite a view from the clean, well lit prison of a single idea. I'm sure your letter would have been received as quite poignant twenty years ago when post modern deconstruction of language was actually topical. (Continued…)
streeeetwise
posted 10/25/06 @ 2:28 PM EST
If this was actually a serious commentary, this Professor would scroll through the faculty comments against the lacrosse team and the falsely accused and reach the conclusion that the language of lynching and injustice was precisely what led to this entire situation. (Continued…)
Ann Alum
posted 10/25/06 @ 3:29 PM EST
This is amazing. Professor Wiegman cannot argue her point and so she turns to an oblique ad hominem attack basing this on a single term. A term which is has been used since medieval times. (Continued…)
dj
posted 10/25/06 @ 6:52 PM EST
This is intentional incitement on Ms Weigman's part and dishonest to the core.
Tar-and-feathering was a colonial American practice that has racial connotations only in the mind of a malicious race-baiter like Ms Wiegman. (Continued…)
Duke Alum/Duke Parent
posted 10/25/06 @ 9:25 PM EST
Ms Weigman,
When I studied American History at Duke, I learned that patriots "tarred and feathered" British officials who attempted to enforce unpopular laws. (Continued…)
Ben
posted 10/26/06 @ 12:10 AM EST
Professor Wiegman,
You are entitled to your own racist opinions, but quite frankly, you make me sick.
Thank goodness I'm in the sciences and have never been indoctrinated with this rubbish. (Continued…)
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