University of Knoxville Tennessee student Kayla Parker had a question about a question on an exam. Judy Morelock, a lecturer in the department of sociology posed this question.
Historical research on African-American families during slavery shows that:
A) Family ties weren’t important in African cultures where the slaves’ ancestors originated; consequently, family bonds were never strong among slaves.
B) Two-parent families were extremely rare during the slave period.
C) Black family bonds were destroyed by the abuses of slave owners, who regularly sold off family members to other slave owners.
D) Most slave families were headed by two parents.
Parker chose C, but was told by her professor the correct answer is D.
Parker challenged Morelock. In an article titled, “Beware of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing: The Tale of A Progressive Professor Who Forgot To Hide Her Racism And Got Her A– Fired” on mystudentvoices.com, Parker vented her frustration and shared all the details. She starts: “She wears a safety pin so everyone knows she’s an ally for minorities. Her cover photo has a Black power fist. She regularly discusses her love for the Obamas, the Black Lives Matter movement, and her admonishment for this current administration. However, I would soon realize that nothing would shake her more than a confident, Black woman contradicting her in front of a classroom of her own students.
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“So how did we get here? It began with me disagreeing with the idea that black family bonds weren’t destroyed during slavery. In our email exchange, I requested further information that would prove that C is incorrect. I respectfully provided evidence, even directly from our textbook that supported my argument. However, my Professor continued to argue that family bonds were not destroyed and that 2/3 of slave families were headed by two parents.
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“This prompted discussion from my friends and family, who took issue with the numerous alternative facts that she continues to stand behind. It was alarming to me that my Professor believes that “Most slave families were kept intact with wife and husband present.”
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“It was on these Facebook posts that my Professor began commenting on to defend her position.
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“My gut knew that wasn’t how this story would end. My presentation could have been and should have been the end of it but it wasn’t. A week later, I’m awakened by a friend of mine blowing my phone up with screenshots of my Professor’s Facebook page. Apparently, she forgot about privacy settings on Facebook. Her comments include, but not limited to: “She’s on LinkedIn trying to establish professional contacts, this should be fun!”, “After the semester is over and she is no longer my student, I will post her name, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.. after she graduates, all bets are off”, “I don’t forget malevolent attempts to harm me. #karmawillfindyou”, and “Ignore the facts, promote a misinformed viewpoint, trash me and I will fight you.”
Unbelievable! See the rants for yourself in this gallery.
