“NO KNOWN CONNECTION TO DUKE”

On Feb. 12, I heard Duke University African and African American & Cultural Anthropology professor Charlie Piot deliver an ad hominem that was billed as a lecture. Piot’s target was historian, professor and blogger Robert KC Johnson. See here for a few quotes and summary of what Piot said.

Piot didn’t make copies of his remarks available and taping was not permitted. I’ve emailed Piot and asked that he post his remarks so we can compare them with what Johnson has actually said

Piot’s a signatory of the Duke faculty’s Group of 88’s now discredited “listening statement.” Johnson’s spotlighted the Group of 88’s prejudgment and abandonment of Duke students falsely charged with major felonies by a hoaxer and rogue DA. He’s also exposed conduct by individual Group of 88 members that many in the Duke community and elsewhere find shocking. For examples of Johnson's "88" postings see here, here and here.

Piot’s attack drew loud applause from the audience of about 150 that included other Group of 88 members and many of their students.

While we wait for Piot to post (fingers crossed), I want to respond to a recurrent theme in his ad hominem: “Johnson, with no known connection to Duke, ….”

Piot said it at least three times with emphasis on each word.

He reminded me of folks here in Durham who before the election were saying things like: “With no connection to Durham, that person still dares to criticize our DA, Mike Nifong.

Piot reminded me of a few other things ----

For more than 30 years I’ve had various connections to DU’s Medical Center. During that time physicians and research scientists from all over the world with no known connection to Duke have been sending letters, journal articles and lengthy emails to Duke physicians and scientists.

Often what is sent is critical of something being done at DUMC - a research study design or interpretation or maybe a patient treatment protocol, for example.

The DUMC physicians and scientists are, of course, interested in who sent the material, but their main interest is to determine whether the material, especially critical material, can help them and those they serve.

And that’s what you’d expect of them, isn’t it?

What kind of Duke physicians and scientists would assess material, especially material critical of what they’re doing, with emphasis on a critic’s “ no known connection to Duke?”

Piot’s “no known connection to Duke” repetitions exposed, IMO, a self-indulgent insularity which, while no doubt a salve to his ego, is absolutely antithetical to what Duke A&S faculty are supposed to be.

It was no surprise to see Piot’s faculty “88” colleagues applaud him. All the ones we’ve heard from since last April have manifested the same self-indulgent insularity and hostility to reasoned criticism that fueled Piot’s ad hominem targeting Johnson.

But I was very saddened to see the students also applaud Piot. I think that’s because, like most people, I have hope for the young.

Driving home after the event and since, I’ve found myself wanting to say a few things to the students.

It didn’t matter whether any of the nine U. S. Supreme Court justices who ruled in Brown v. Topeka Board of Education had any known connection to the school board. The justices’ valid finding that racially separate public schools are inherently unequal, and therefore unconstitutional, is what mattered.

Professor John Hope Franklin, who helped prepare the brief that argued that position before the court, could tell the students that. He’s a Duke emeritus professor who’s often on campus and enjoys talking with students. I’m sure many of the students listening to Piot that other night have met Franklin.

Franklin could also tell the students that many people with no known connection to the University of Mississippi were very critical of its segregation policies. They supported James Meredith when he sought to enroll there despite opposition from much of the faculty.

I’d ask the students if they agreed Meredith could never have enrolled at Mississippi without the help of those people.

I’d listen to what they said; thank them for giving me a chance to make my point; and wish them well.