Julianne Malveaux has been named as dean of Ethnic Studies at California State University Los Angeles. This is a troubling selection, but we could hardly expect a university not to make a troubling selection for their Ethnic Studies departments. As an academic field, Ethnic Studies has time and time again, distinguished itself as one characterized by chauvinism and divisiveness.
So it is with Malveaux, who has a history of supporting characters like the noted racist and anti-Semite, Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam. In addition, she has a history not only of attacking Israel but Jews as well.
Tammi Rossman-Benjamin is a former professor at UC Santa Cruz and co-founder of the Amcha Initiative, an organization dedicated to exposing and fighting anti-Semitism on college campuses. In this article written in the Jewish Journal, she outlines the reasons why Malveaux is a troubling choice-especially for Jewish students on campus. Also prominently mentioned in this article is San Francisco State University professor Rabab Abdulhadi.
In the interest of full disclosure, Cal State LA happens to be my alma mater. Every now and then, I get flyers asking me for donations. The next time I get one, I will respond and explain to them exactly why I refuse to send them any money.
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