Leftist Profs Co-Chair UVA Commission on Segregation

A professor who compared President Trump to a “crappy bottle of Yellowtail Chardonnay” and a professor who called civility “subjective” have been chosen to co-chair a University of Virginia commission on segregation.

A press release announcing the members said that the “Commission on the University in the Age of Segregation” will “explore and report on UVA’s role in the period of racial segregation that occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries.”

The commission will complement the existing President’s Commission on Slavery and the University, which has been tasked with exploring the historical role of slavery at UVA.

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Kirt von Daacke, for instance, has not been shy in sharing his opposition to President Trump, recently comparing him to a “crappy bottle of yellowtail” {snip}.

Von Daacke, who is also a co-chair of the President’s Commission on Slavery and the University, has advocated for Civil War-era monument removal, saying in an interview with NBC News last year that many of the memorials are inscribed to glorify or deny the brutality of the period, and that moving or removing such monuments “is a necessary step in creating a more inclusive history and more inclusive public spaces.”

Andrea Douglas, the new commission’s other co-chair, is an outspoken advocate for Black Lives Matter. {snip}

On a separate occassion, Douglas compared Black Lives Matter to the civil rights movement advocating for black equality after the civil war, saying, “Black Lives Matter is taking up the mantle of their forebears.”

Robert Andrews, chairman of the UVA College Republicans, told Campus Reform that “I see the new Commission on Segregation as a great opportunity for the university to pursue unbiased truth in uncovering history.”

Acknowledging that he does not know a lot about either of the commission’s co-chairs, he expressed hope that “they are committed to uncovering truth and do not use this commission as a political ploy.”

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Past meetings have been plagued with screaming matches, confrontations, and arrests, prompting council members to request that members of the public abstain from cursing, stay within predesignated time limits, and avoid interrupting others.

Douglas, however, argued that “the response of the people to their council is appropriate,” saying it is in line with past social justice movements across the country, such as “ACT UP” and Occupy.

“What really is necessary are some moments of analysis and some moments of strategic thinking, and not this constant emotional cry for civility as if that is going to solve everything,” she continued, adding, “you’ve got to ask yourself the question: Are you asking me to be civil so that you can control this discourse?”

No members of the President’s commission appear to have conservative leanings, but some have been involved with social justice ministries, multicultural student service centers, and diversity and equality initiatives.

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