Showing posts with label you-know-who. Show all posts
Showing posts with label you-know-who. Show all posts

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Racial and Ethnic Spew Against Gallaudet University President Hurwitz, why?

When a person makes an ethnic or racial slur/claim against Gallaudet University by calling the current Hurwitz administration as being run by an "all Jewish, white men" is not only irresponsible but certainly downright conspiratorial in nature as well as obnoxious. It's even worse if it came from a person who graduated from Gallaudet University. This is a slam against Dr. Hurwitz who  became the first Jewish president of Gallaudet University and was also a past president of the World Organization of Jewish Deaf. Is it a slam against the rest of the Gallaudet University administration by making it as if the university is controlled by a bunch of "Jewish men"? It certainly does bring up questions of whether there were any racist and/or anti-semitic undertones. Although it may have been written as not to mean that but to say "all Jewish, white men" simply begs the question.

First off, the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees is consisted of 10 men of which not all of them are white or Jewish, along with 7 women. This is not counting the two from Congress. The Board of Trustees were the ones who picked Dr. Hurwitz to become Gallaudet University's next president.  As for the "Hurwitz administration" it is consisted of the President's Cabinet and Staff.  The make up of people there are just as varied with men and women of different ethnic and racial backgrounds rather than an "all Jewish, white men" run administration.

The President's Cabinet is consisted of Dr. Alan T. Hurwitz (President), Dr. Stephen Weiner (Provost of Academic Affairs), Paul Kelly (Vice President of Administration & Finance), Eward Bosso (Vice President of Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center - KDES), Lynee Murray (Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations), Donald Beil (Chief of Staff), Cynthia King (Chief Information Officer), Catherine Andersen (Associate Provost of Enrollment Management and General Studies), Ann Powell (Associate Provost for Diversity) and Fred Weiner (Executive Director of Program Development).  The President's Staff, it is just as varied as well when you look at the names and faces of both men and women.

There is nothing in this current administration to show that it is run by an "all Jewish, white men" if you look at Gallaudet University's organizational chart. You can see that the Board of Trustees is at the top of the organizational chart, and not president Hurwitz.  He would be second in line. Those who work directly under president Hurwitz are Paul Kelly, Lynne Murray, Stephen Weiner, Cindy King, Ed Bosso and Don Beil. Certainly not a cadre of people that fits the "all Jewish, white men" ethnic/racial slam.

Such an accusation is simply irresponsible coming from one deaf person who have said such a thing as seen in a YouTube's comment area yesterday. And, no, I won't point out where or who this person is. Use your imagination. It wouldn't take much to figure out who this person is. You-know-who. Yet it is perfectly alright to question a person's line of work but to raise a person's ethnic upbringing (i.e. Jewish, Catholic, etc) or racial profile shouldn't be a part of the discussion in the first place. As for Hurwitz's case, his Jewish background and "whiteness" have nothing to do with running Gallaudet University as a whole. As far as I can tell, Dr. Hurwitz is still committed to diversity. 

There is no place for anti-semitic or racist undertones aimed at Gallaudet University or the president. Not at this day and age. Not ever.

Oh, btw, Merry Christmas!

ADDENDUM: If you are going to respond in the comment section do not use names.