How to Destroy a Career

Hat tip Campus Reform

Nancy Shurtz is a University of Oregon professor who wore blackface at a Halloween party at her home. Now she is under fire at UO, and a university investigation concluded that she violated university policies. Campus Reform has the report.

http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=8608

Blackface, of course, goes back to the early part of the 20th century when it was considered part of stage entertainment. Later it became considered offensive and mocking of black people. A few years ago, members of an Asian-American fraternity at UC Irvine made a video imittaing some rapper using blackface. It caused a firestorm on campus. The students and fraternity apologized profusely and even suspended itself for a year. I doubt the students even knew the history and significance of blackface. Lesson learned.

It appears that Ms. Shurtz was not acting out of bad intent or attempting to mock anyone. So my point is this: Are we really going to destroy this woman’s career over this? I prefer to agree with the Florida A&M law professor in the above article.