There's been a problem in higher education for quite some time. Colleges and universities are less interested in educating people than they are indoctrinating them into woke, Leftist ideologies. At the same time, bloated administrative staff and government-backed student loans have made tuition costs (and student loan debt) skyrocket. It's a recipe for disaster, but academica doesn't seem keen on changing any time soon.
At Ohio State University (OSU), for example, they recently hired an Assistant Professor of Black Sexualities.
Ohio State University recently hired an "Assistant Professor of Black Sexualities," whose areas of expertise include "Black Sexual Logics" and "Dark Black Study."
— John Sailer (@JohnDSailer) February 10, 2026
The position is absurd and reflects poorly on OSU. Why was it created? Simple: money from the Mellon Foundation 🧵 pic.twitter.com/oRX7AFAwgI
Zalika U. Ibraorimi, who has "she/they" pronouns, has some interesting areas of expertise, including "Black Sexual Logics," "Dark Black Study," "Anti-Blackness," and "Black Digital Intimacy."
OSU describes Ibraorimi as "an antidisciplinary artist" (someone who deliberately rejects traditional artistic categories) and wrote that "she engages Black material and digital publics as landscapes to trace the Human sexual geographies between the relation of the Black femme and spectator."
Um, what?
As Salier pointed out, Ibraorimi was hired because the Mellon Foundation gave OSU almost $3 million to "transform" the Department of African American and African studies.
In 2023, Mellon gave Ohio State a $2 million grant to support faculty hiring in the Department of African American and African Studies. OSU's then-provost Melissa Gilliam (who now sits on Mellon's board) explicitly highlighted the how the grant would help recruit faculty. pic.twitter.com/x4YQehSlHD
— John Sailer (@JohnDSailer) February 10, 2026
"By expanding its faculty, recruiting graduate students and strengthening community partnerships, the department will build on its rich 50-year history at Ohio State," said Melissa L. Gilliam, executive vice president and provost.
And Ibraorimi isn't going anywhere any time soon, with OSU vowing to fund all these positions "in perpetuity."
What that meant, in effect, was that Mellon's money would provide the start up cost for ten new tenure-track professors. The OSU announcement notes that the university itself "committed to funding all 10 faculty position in perpetuity." pic.twitter.com/zVprVzA6YJ
— John Sailer (@JohnDSailer) February 10, 2026
The Mellon Foundation's grant was used in the job posting for the "Assistant Professor of Black Sexualities" position.
It's hard for departments to get faculty lines, especially many all at once. The Mellon money would have made that possible.
— John Sailer (@JohnDSailer) February 10, 2026
Thus, in its job ad for a "assistant professor of black sexualities," OSU highlights the Mellon Foundation's grant. pic.twitter.com/NsqKDlHIwL
Sailer says such grants from the country's largest funder of the humanities, "sets the tone at universities everywhere" and that it "ultimately weakens academia."
This is not an isolated case. Since Mellon is the country's largest funder of the humanities, it sets the tone at universities everywhere. As I wrote this week, it has used that influence in ways that ultimately weaken academia.https://t.co/s5cU77WTOe
— John Sailer (@JohnDSailer) February 10, 2026
Weakening academia is the point.
I wanted to point out the gobbeldygook faux intellectual word salad, but ALL OF IT is gobbeldygook faux intellectual word salad pic.twitter.com/bA36GE9Qet
— Schnookiekins 💯❤️Member of IDGAF+❤️💯 (@schnookiekins) February 10, 2026
It's all word salad. Dozens of words that say and mean absolutely nothing.
Imma sum up her resume for yall. She’s teaching her students voodoo sex magic. https://t.co/Q929U3BhAo
— Shyler Merry (@Shyler_Merry) February 11, 2026
Pretty much.
Missed opportunity to call it “The Dark Arts.” https://t.co/oX8OVQzasq
— Sturdy Jenn (@nogooddeed2) February 11, 2026
That was a missed opportunity.
According to OSU's public salary records, Ibaorimi earns $83,000 per year.