Cornell University Prof. Grant Farred Accused of Calling Two Graduate Students "Black Bitches"

Cornell University professor Grant Farred accused of calling two graduate students "black bitches" at a conference panel on black studies.

Cornell University Professor Grant Farred, in the English and Africana studies department, has been accused by two black graduate students of making a sexist statement. He reportedly called them "black bitches." The comments were made at a conference in early February at the University of Rochester, entitled "Theorizing Black Studies: Thinking Black Intellectuals." According to the Cornell Daily Sun, the two students arrived late to a conference panel, after which Farred walked over and thanked them for making it out to the conference. The article goes on to state that with one of the two students present, Farred then lowered his voice and said, “When you both walked in, I thought, ‘Who are these black bitches?’” The professor apologized when it was brought to his attention that there was some discomfort about about his statement. The students didn't let it go and an investigation was launched once Prof. Salah Hassan, director of the Africana Studies and Research Center was told.

In the wake of Farred’s remarks, members of the Africana and larger Cornell community have expressed concern and outrage through open letters addressed to Hassan in addition to University administrators, including President David Skorton and Provost Kent Fuchs.  Most recently, an open letter signed by 39 alumni and released last Tuesday and reprinted in today’s Sun publicly condemned the actions of Farred and the inaction of Hassan; it also advocated an open meeting for “all concerned members of the community.”

Hassan, the director of the Africana Center, issued an e-mail response to an open letter that several alumni issued condemning the incident last week.

“The remarks are certainly racist, sexist and utterly ugly. No one deserves to be addressed in such a manner, let alone two black women graduate students in a program, like Africana, borne out of the struggle against injustice and all forms of discrimination,” Hassan stated in the e-mail, sent Apr. 6.  “What makes the remarks even more egregious that they were [uttered] by an educator.”

Hassan’s written response included a letter detailing the comprehensive steps that have been taken to address the incident. According to the letter, Farred, who was Director of Graduate Studies in the ASRC at the time of the incident, was promptly removed from his position. Additionally, a special faculty meeting was held amongst Africana faculty to discuss the incident, and Fared was asked to not participate in the 40th anniversary of the ASRC occuring this week. Hassan declined to comment beyond his written statement.

 The comments are very disturbing and while the professor was disciplined, it speaks to the broader issue of denigrating black women. Rappers and some comedians are only too happy to call black women bitches and hos (whores). We can't hold a professor accountable and ignore the rappers and comedians denigrating women, in general. We can't have it both ways.