Every once in a while we see different news stories collide in such a way that one sheds a revealing light on the other. Such an illuminating convergence has just occurred in the unrelated cases of both Jessica A Krug and Charles Negy. By now there’s a good chance that you’ve heard about Professor Krug confessing to a lifetime of lies about her ethnic background. Her story has baffled and disappointed supporters and observers alike, yet it’s the more obscure case of Professor Negy which gives us some insight into the higher profile story of a white woman posing as a black woman. It isn’t the first time that’s happened.
So what did Professor Negy do to attract the attention of the Guardian newspaper? Well, he did the one thing that’s guaranteed to instantly end a career. He sent the following tweet, questioning the new woke orthodoxy:
“Black privilege is real: Besides affirm. Action [sic], special scholarships and other set asides, being shielded from legitimate criticism is a privilege. But as a group, they’re missing out on much needed feedback.”
It will come as no surprise that Charles Negy is now under investigation by the University of Central Florida as the twittersphere explodes with indignation. This virtue-signalling dogpile serves two purposes; firstly it gives the wokerati a chance to burnish their public credentials. Secondly, and much more importantly; the chorus of organised, indignant screeching creates so much fog and noise that the original idea is quickly forgotten. That is not an accident or an unintended consequence; in fact it’s the whole point of trial by social media in the first place.
So, is Professor Negy right; is black privilege real?
I think the answer depends on where you’re standing when you ask the question. If you’re gazing across a rain-lashed concrete housing estate in South London, such a concept might seem laughable. However, if you’re an academic looking for advancement there can be little doubt that black privilege is very real, tangible and lucrative.
Why else would someone systematically lie about their ethnic identity for decades unless there was some significant incentive to do so? By the looks of things, Jessica Krug has done very well out of pretending to be black, as did Rachel Dolezal a few years ago. Let’s also not forget the notable cases of Shaun King and one-time presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren (although she of course appealed to a different ethnic privilege).
Krug’s premeditated deception has earned her a doctorate, a tenured position at George Washington University, a publishing contract and research grants. That’s without mentioning the mainstream and social media amplification automatically afforded to the woke insider establishment. It’s hard to imagine her enjoying all those opportunities if she’d been honest about her immutable characteristics from the start.
When it comes to Jennifer Krug as an academic, I have no idea if her career has thus far added any real value to our society, but her imminent un-personing and the summary dismissal of her work will teach us all a valuable lesson.
Systemic racism is deeply embedded throughout the Western establishment, as this white Jewish woman is about to discover.
Image courtesy of Thomas Warm at FreeImages.com
