On engaging with Charles Murray

On engaging with Charles Murray

Faculty members on the Committee On Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion write a response to the re-invitation of Charles Murray. They talk about the sexist and racist implications of Murray's work and the ridiculousness of asking women/POC students to engage in a discussion over Murray when his ideas are undermining their very intelligence.

Kemi Fuentes-George
Erin Eggleston
Chong-suk Han
Laurel Jenkins
Daniel Silva
Shawna Shapiro
Trinh Tran

The Campus

01/31/2020

Kemi Fuentes-George
Erin Eggleston
Chong-suk Han
Laurel Jenkins
Daniel Silva
Shawna Shapiro
Trinh Tran

"Charles Murray came to prominence in 1994 by arguing in 'The Bell Curve' that black people and Latinx people are genetically less intelligent than white people. He doubled down on these arguments and, for good measure, added more about women’s “innate” genetic differences from men in articles like 'Deeper Into the Brain,' and books like 'Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 BC to 1950.' He staged a cross burning as a senior in high school in 1960, at the height of the Civil Rights movement. At no point has Murray recanted or revised these arguments."

"In what way are people of color and/or women and/or their allies supposed to 'engage diligently' with this? How are they supposed to 'respectfully' debate the claim that they are inferior? The entire basis of this argument denies an equal footing to women and people of color. "