Tenured University of Pennsylvania Religious Studies Professor Anthea Butler, who has a history of making derogatory and racially fueled comments, is now under fire for suggesting Dr. Ben Carson deserves a "coon of the year award" for his support of flying the Confederate Flag on private property. She made the suggestion on Twitter last week. Campus Reform has the details:
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“If only there was a ‘coon of the year’ award…” Professor Butler tweeted in response to another tweet linking to a Sports Illustrated article in which Carson was quoted defended the right of NASCAR fans to fly Confederate flags during races.
“Swastikas are a symbol of hate for some people too … and yet they still exist in our museums and places like that,” Carson observed during the event in North Carolina with NASCAR legend Richard Petty. “If it’s a majority of people in that area who want it to fly, I certainly wouldn't take it down,” he added, noting that NASCAR races are held on private property.
The word “coon” is an offensive term to slander Africans, deriving from the Portuguese word “barracoos,” which is a hut-like dwelling used to store slaves during auctions, according to Online Etymology.
In effect, then, Butler’s tweet insinuated that Carson is a metaphorical slave who belongs in a wooden shed.
Yesterday, Juan Williams took issue with Butler's comments during The Five:
In the past, Butler (again, a religious studies professor) has referred to God as a "white racist" who "stalks young black men with guns."
As of now, the University has no plans to reprimand Butler for her comments. You can bet if Butler was a white woman, she would have been fired immediately.
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