Posted on December 21, 2006

Canadian Diversity “Debate” Allows No Diversity Of Views

Statement issued by Dalhousie University,  Dec. 21, 2006

David Divine To Address Racial Diversity In North America

The James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies, at Dalhousie University, David Divine, was approached by an external organization to take part in a debate on racial diversity in North America. The topic is an important one and Professor Divine was initially willing to use the occasion to explore the issue.

Subsequently the university has learned more about the background and standpoint of the others involved in the proposed debate and has concluded a debate with people who held such views would not be a useful way to explore the topic.

As the issue is significant and worth examining, Professor Divine will deliver a public lecture on the topic of racial diversity and the controversy surrounding the issue on January 15th, at 7:00 in the Potter Auditorium, Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building. Following the lecture here will be questions and answers and Professor Divine will engage with the audience on this timely topic.

Statement issued by American Renaissance,  Dec. 21, 2006

“Debate” On Diversity Allows No Diversity Of Views

Dalhousie University Professor David Divine has backed out of a debate on diversity and now plans to use the time for a monologue.

Scheduled for Jan. 15, 2007 at Dalhousie University in Halifax, the debatewith American magazine editor Jared Taylor was to be called “Racial Diversity:North America’s Strength or Weakness.” Prof. Divine, chair of the BlackCanadian Studies Department was to argue that diversity is a strength; Taylor was to take the opposite view.

Today, the university issued a statement announcing that Taylor would no longer be allowed to participate, and that Prof. Divine would present only his side.

“I’m astonished,” said Taylor. “It appears that Dalhousie University is to have a ‘debate’ about diversity that permits no diversity of views.”

Posters advertising the debate had been printed, and Taylor had already bought plane tickets. Prof. Divine had not returned e-mail or phone messages so Taylor could only speculate about why he would not debate. “I suspect he was afraid he would lose.” he said.

“I have heard that Canada tends to be skittish about free speech,” Taylor added, “but I had no idea things were this bad. To turn a debate into a monologue is to subvert the very purpose of a university.”

Jared Taylor is editor of American Renaissance magazine and president of New Century Foundation.


A white supremacist website based in Florida is touting an upcoming debate on racial diversity at Dalhousie University.

A message posted on Stormfront.org, which uses the slogan White Pride Worldwide, advertises the Jan. 15 clash between David Divine, Dal’s chair of black Canadian studies, and Jared Taylor of American Renaissance magazine.

“Hopefully people on the East Coast can spread the word to like-minded Canadian allies, resulting in a large following to attend and support our side of the debate,” says a Stormfront moderator who goes by the online name OdinPatrick.

Reporters will be sure to cover the event, the moderator notes.

“And Eastern Canada should receive a good introduction to our philosophy. Please tell friends of this. . .. If we’re lucky, Paul Fromm may attend.”

Mr. Fromm is a public supporter of notorious Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel.

A poster on Dal’s official website dubs the debate Racial Diversity: North America’s Strength or Weakness?

Reached at his office in Virginia on Wednesday night, Mr. Taylor said he is looking forward to the event. But he said he heard from one of the organizers Wednesday that Dal president Tom Traves had decided the event must not take place.

“He had heard that Nazis were threatening to mob the event,” Mr. Taylor said.

The Dal president, reached at his home Wednesday night, denied any knowledge of the postings on Stormfront.org.

“I’ll have to look into this,” Mr. Traves said.

If the debate does take place, Mr. Taylor will argue against racial diversity and immigration.

“Wherever you look, where people are most diligently killing each other, it’s because diverse populations are trying to share the same territory,” he said.

“The idea that racial or ethnic diversity is a strength and a great benefit for a country is so obviously wrong and stupid that only very intelligent people could convince themselves that it’s true.”

Mr. Taylor admitted that he has, in the past, been accused of being a white supremacist. But he denied the label.

“I would describe myself as a race realist,” Mr. Taylor said. “I think it’s clear that race is an important part of both individual and group identity. And I believe that, although an attractive notion, the idea that a society can make race not to matter is a futile one.”

The assumption is that “people can come from essentially anywhere in the world and can assimilate and become first-rate Canadians or first-rate Americans and that the institutions will continue unchanged, no matter who’s living here and in what numbers. I just think the evidence suggests otherwise, and I believe that we are dicing with the futures of our countries if we really do assume that a non-European population will continue in a manner that our European forebears have established.”

Mr. Divine could not be reached for comment.

Stormfront.org was at the centre of a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal hearing last week in Vancouver.

An Ottawa lawyer filed the complaint against a former Coquitlam, B.C., couple in January 2005. It alleged that Jessica Beaumont and her boyfriend, Ciaran Donnelly, engaged in a discriminatory practice on the grounds of religion, sexual orientation, race, colour, national or ethnic origin and disability by posting hateful messages on the Internet. In particular, Ms. Beaumont’s comments on Stormfront.org were considered hateful, the complaint alleged.

Police raided the couple’s Coquitlam home in July of this year, seizing Nazi memorabilia, computers, clothes and books.

Mr. Taylor said he was surprised to learn the upcoming Halifax debate was being promoted on Stormfront.org.

“I just learned today that Stormfront had gotten wind of this somehow,” he said Wednesday. “But they’re certainly not suggesting that anyone misbehave.”

Mr. Taylor said he is not associated with the website.

“In fact, I am frequently criticized on that site,” he said.

The Anti-Defamation League calls Stormfront.org a “veritable supermarket of online hate.”