UK academic sues university after losing role in critical race theory row

Coconut back in the 70s was not so jocular.

My racist uncle used it a lot about the black men he worked with - black but acting white and even, think about it, taking management jobs!

All sorts of wrong!

The term coconut is a jibe, often used in a light-hearted manner amongst 2nd generation immigrants. I have often used this to refer to myself and has in no way ever been considered "racist". For example, it might mean someone who canot speak the language of their parents or wthnic heritage, or who do conform to the typical cultural values. It is rude as in I wouldnt say it in a professional capacity, but amongst friends its really not as horrific as some PP are making out.

I just thought I would add that as an NB. I dont know anything else about CRT or GC amongst academics. Lets all just be careful about witch hunts though.

Oh wait, I thought the tweet that Calvin Robinson said was the one that was being referred to. I don't think the context makes it much better. That's pretty bad.

I came here hoping somebody could explain this to me because I have no idea and I also can’t get to the bottom of critical race theory. Really hoping people more knowledgeable than me here will help me understand!

Remember that the next round for Maya will be the nature of the manifestation of belief. For the "house negro" academic, they might not find the latter issue easy to navigate.

her organisation tweeted to a black person first that he was a "house Negro" and then that he was a "coconut". Apparently these terms are part of standard discourse in critical race theory and so should be protected under the law.
And there was me thinking they were just terms of racist abuse...
Quite. She can believe whatever theory she likes (protected) but slurs and harassment aren't permitted (also Forstater case).
I can maybe believe that the first quote was part of a wider context but I can't see any justification for the others which appear to be using very unpleasant racial terms to denigrate someone.
It'll be interesting to see how the court sees this.

I can't get my head round that.

Is it that it's doesn't matter what is said as long as you claim you are saying it for 'real' reasons?

Or that the colour of your skin, your own ethnicity removes any transgression?

Or that billywabbaticks are snodporens and so all is parabolittle?

Interesting. I don't know much about this whole area.

I think, being fair, the 'house negro' comment is slightly less bad in context (it's repeating what someone's already claimed, I guess, and she didn't post it?):

The first tweet was sent in February after the conservative political commentator Calvin Robinson said on BBC One’s The Big Questions that he had been attacked for being Black and rightwing: “For example I have been called Bounty, Uncle Tom, house negro for not having the right opinion.”

On 14 February the Race Trust, which was founded by Khanom, posted a tweet, tagging Robinson and asking: “Does it not shame you that most people see you as a house negro?” Khanom said she did not post the tweet but accepted responsibility for it.

The coconut one is particularly interesting as it refers to someone being one race but acting as if they are another, doesn't it? Which would imply there's some implicit way of acting that corresponds with each race? Or is it more like the equivalent of internalised misogyny?

I find her wording odd "Leeds Beckett condemned me to be a racist" - that sounds like she's admitting she is 'a racist' but was made to be, or is it just poor phrasing?