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| He supports the Confederacy. And he's CofC's new president. |
The place where I teach. The school that I love.
McConnell is an advocate of the Confederacy. He owns (owned?) a shop selling all kinds of Confederate goods. Grace, a student who used to work for WGS, had done some high school work at McConnell's shop. She said he was a nice guy, but WOW did he love the Confederacy.
Conseula Francis recently asked the CofC faculty/staff listserv:
Are you aware the Confederacy started a war to maintain their right to own human beings?
Are you aware flying the Confederate flag did not come back into fashion until segregationists took up the symbol in their fight against Civil Rights in the 1950s and 1960s?
Are you aware that championing a cause and defending a symbol long, and deliberately, associated with hatred, intolerance, oppression, and racism could imply that a person holds those beliefs as well?
This is the man who told me, when I asked, that when the SC legislature accused CofC of promoting "a gay and lesbian lifestyle" and offering "obscene pornographic mandatory" reading, the president should have said, "Thank you" and gone back to CofC.
We're supposed to say thank you, he said. For telling us that we need to support homophobia and trample academic freedom. We're supposed to say thank you. For being a political body that supports hatred, intolerance, oppression, and racism.
I'm not sure what to do here. This is the man I will work for starting July 1.
You have my heartfelt sympathies. There is nothing worse than when the put the fox in charge of the hen house.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely cannot believe it. I always thought if I stayed in academia, I'd try to teach at CofC. Now I'm thinking that's not such a good idea.
ReplyDeleteCofC is still a wonderful school (great faculty, students who are incredibly rewarding to work with because they are such dedicated thinkers and OUTSTANDING activists). But our leadership isn't looking so good.
DeleteYou are not sure what to do here? Here is what you do: The students and faculty need to get together and boycott class starting July 1st. They can't fire all of you. They can't fail all the students.
ReplyDeleteIt will require: NOT FEARING AUTHORITY'S POWER FIRE OR FAIL YOU, USING YOUR NUMBERS ADVANTAGE, and most importantly, STICKING TOGETHER - no folding like a cheap tent!
ReplyDeleteNo teachers or students in class = No College of Charleston...
By July 10th, he'll be forced out.
You could also wait until the Fall for the boycott, but the disadvantages at that point might out-weigh the advantages.
I have faith that the college faculty and student body of the school I chose to transfer to will do the right thing. Letting this guy be the College of Charleston's President is not acceptable! One thing is for sure... We will soon find out if these Cougars have any claws.
You have got some powerful activist ideas here! Are you in Charleston? Want to talk?
DeleteWhat do you think, he will make it mandatory for all students to go to cross burnings and only the white kids can say the n word. He is interested in a war that took place in this country not head of the kkk. Only terribly racist men could ever take an interest in the civil war right. Yes his store sold memorabilia from the confederacy, so what, if it was in the Carolinas i'm sure it flew off the shelves. This has been blown out of proportion.
ReplyDeleteDon't you think it's significant that Confederate memorabilia ONLY became fashionable when the South was fighting segregation?
DeleteYou mean the confederate flag did not become fashionable until General Lee adopted the once proposed national flag in 1861 and flew it in battle? It was the south's symbol during the civil war... I don't imagine too many things become popular until people actually see and use them. Completely agree with you Mr. Robbins. Allison you are blowing this way out of proportion. What could you possibly think he is going to do? Segregate the school? Get rid of black teachers? Grow up.
DeleteI think its significant that you think the South was fight segregation. You have provided no evidence that he is a racist or anything more than a history buff. The fact that racists used the flag as their symbol 50 years ago doesn't matter. Westboro Baptist Church uses the cross but that doesn't make everyone with a cross a homophobic hate monger.
DeleteHoly crap. This is profoundly depressing. I'd like to think that assertive action like that outlined above will change things, but I'm not so sure --
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I'm not sure you or those who care about this shit could live with yourselves if you didn't at least make yourselves known. I saw a truck the other day in Santa Monica, flying the Confederate flag, which is a very bizarre sight out here. When I wrote about it on my blog, the comments that came in were quite interesting. There was one person who did a whole song and dance about the flag -- a sort of politically correct anti-politically correct thing. It was depressing and very frustrating.
woah. comments for this post are INTENSE.
ReplyDeleteThis conflict, so similar to the one we (as people who acknowledge oppression) face everyday, really creates a lot of questions. At what point are we complicit? When do we stay and when do we go? How do we, in the face of conflicts that rock our heart and make our head spin, make meaningful change? How do we change our personal lives in the face of political reality?
One of the biggest concerns to me is the lack of safety that this decision results in for students of color, lgbtqqia students, and other students that might feel unsafe.
I do want to say Alison that before Glen Mcconnell the university was a hard space, and I remember being so astonished + thankful for your presence. I find you to be such a beacon of light+ clarity, and that is so incredibly important in navigating this situtation and the questions it raises.
Finally I am so glad you are processing this. and this is just shitty and i think there should be lots of space to be upset and angry and feel betrayal, but i also just have to say that this is a nuanced situation, no matter how cut and dry it may seem. I'm not saying its ok or right, just that its complicated and I think acknowledging that inspires some hope for me.
Thank you for being and bearing witness to this
devi
Devi, would you please comment on everything I write every single time? I'm not kidding.
DeleteYou're exactly right that this situation is nuanced, and I'm going to sit with it awhile (and do some research into McConnell's time at CofC in the pre-integration 1960s) and then see what kinds of responses seem most effective. And I'm going to talk with people whose opinions I respect (hello, Devi!).
Thank you so much for your praise here. Back atcha!
thanks Alison! That is so kind! I have been trying to comment for MONTHS and they haven't been showing up, so I'm glad the stars are aligning!
DeleteThat's why it's so important for faculty and students to be involved in the hiring committee for key roles and not let the job be left to trustees, staff, and a head hunter to choose someone appropriate.
ReplyDeleteWhoever wrote this is a winy little bitch. Just because someone has an interest in the civil war doesn't mean they are a racist, and the people who use it as an excuse to attack a man who you don't like is bigotry at its finest. I do really love how liberals go around and blow each other about issues they blow out of proportion. Remember you one-sided salad tossing knobs, blogs like this are whats keeping the race war alive.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Obama is a horrendous president, really looking forward to the clean-up.
LOL I'm pretty sure actual racism is keeping the race war alive.
DeleteI also don't think she was accusing him of being a racist because he is interested in the civil war, but because he supports the confederacy. That is a huge difference. I am deeply interested in the Civil War, and particularly the Confederacy, but I also strongly believe that they are in the wrong. You can have pride for your home state and still recognize that they were in the wrong. There are so many other ways to show pride for South Carolina without promoting a clear symbol of slavery and racism is the country.
What does the president have to do with any of this? I am glad that you are just some shitty internet troll instead of a real person.
The confederate flag is not a symbol of hatred or racism. It is a part of history in the South. If you were truly "deeply interested" in the Civil War then you would know that they war was not started over slavery. It was started over states rights. I've had a confederate flag and by no means do I support slavery or racism. People need to get their heads out of their asses. This is exactly what is wrong with our country and it's a real shame.
DeleteBy that you mean states' rights...to continue the practice of slavery. Let's be clear; this is not the kind of guy you want to be the apologist for. Nobody is saying he has to close down his shop, but it does not suggest he has much interest in relating to a diverse student body - which is kinda essential for a college president!
Deletefam-nazi, pride of the fourth reich
ReplyDeletehow the heck did this guy get hired? I don't get it.
ReplyDeletewere there any protests or awareness campaigns during the consideration process, or was all the "vetting" done behind closed doors?
any hope of making this a wider community/state issue? is your college public? I wouldn't want my tax dollars supporting this guy, you know?
not sure how the flag, the confederacy, etc are negotiated in SC culture???
I feel for you, A. and the students. absolutely sickening, heartbreaking, and alienating. gee whiz.
how are families going to feel about pouring massive amounts of tuition dollars into a school that hires a president that flies and sells a historical symbol of hate; hate for many of the people paying for his salary through their enrollment?
So disheartening. My husband and I graduated from C of C in the 90s. We both thought *no way* will he be hired! What a giant step backward for the college.
ReplyDeleteAs a former CofC employee and student: this is horrifying. Will be thinking of the campus community in this insanity.
ReplyDeleteI don't really see a problem with this guy being the President of CofC. He obviously isn't going to promote segregation, this is 2014, and if he tried to pull anything like that he would lose his job and all of his merit immediately. Who cares if he likes to rep the Confederacy? He clearly knows how to make money and he embraces his Southern roots. Give me proof of Mconnell supporting "hatred, intolerance, oppression, and racism" and then we can start making a big deal out of it. Let's not forget who won the war...
ReplyDeleteAre you aware that the Civil War was started over states rights? Not because of slaves. If you're a teacher at CofC, I hope you do not teach American history.
ReplyDeleteyour a raging liberal with a one sided view. The confederate flag means pride through his eyes and its clear. please resign if your going to continue to complain because its only going to bring down the students education.
ReplyDeleteGlenn McConnell isn't an advocate of the Confederacy. Why? Cause the Confederacy is dead. He owns a store that sells Confederate memorabilia and in a state like SC I bet he gets good business. He, like many other South Carolinians, has a Confederate Flag that's not a crime. The War of Northern Aggression was fought over states rights and it is important to understand that Wars are not fought over one simple black and white issue, but because of complex significant wrongs. He respects his heritage and knows from where he came. He was a CofC student and now he is coming back to Charleston to lead his Alma Mater. So everyone is acting so upset, only 60 students were at the protest on Friday. There are almost 12,000 of us. 60 people protesting is nothing. McConnell has the ability to do what a President has to do, he will raise money and spend it while not pandering to every one of the petty needs of the hyper-feminist socialist work force of academia.
ReplyDeleteWow, check it out: I've got comments now from "heritage not hate" people! This blog post is reaching far and wide! I've EVEN got a comment about being a "feminazi" (spelled wrong, but whatever)--I didn't even know that term was still being used!
ReplyDeleteThis is kind of exciting.
WOW!! Shout out to you Alison for getting some people to show their "true colors." I think it is hilarious how people saying ridiculous things thinking that they are proving a point or even showing their "intelligence" when in reality, they are just exhibiting true ignorance. I can't help but to chuckle a little. If your blog represents "bitchy feminazism" then I would hate to see what my fellow liberals who are "ruining America" would come up to describe your opposition. Kudos Alison!
ReplyDeleteHis personal views on the confederacy are irrelevant. His personal views on racism and feminism - irrelevant. Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal - immaterial. As president, Mr. McConnell will represent the entirety of the College of Charleston to internal and external stakeholders. He will represent publicly the voice of institutional policy in regards to academic inquiry and education. He will need to be a voice advocating discovery, invention, and creation amongst faculty and students. He will be charged with assisting in developing a diverse and open community for the free exchange of ideas at an institution that has a less-than-stellar reputation for diversity.
ReplyDeleteIt is vital and central to the job that the president can faithfully represent and actively promote an open and free academic environment. While personal views are personal, Mr. McConnell does not present well. He is frequently associated with images and positions that are in conflict with developing an open and free academic environment. When confronted with the message that some of his actions are inflammatory, he does not show the ability to modify or mollify those expressions. Instead, he double downs. This may play well in some sectors of South Carolina, but the College's reach is global. In that world, his personna is a liability to the College.
As for fundraising, in the decades that he served in state government, appropriations to his alma mater have plummeted. He may be good for raising campaign funds, but he has not flexed tremendous power on behalf of the institution within the state legislature to date, and I don't expect his removal from that body to the college campus will strengthen any influence that he may carry over once his time at the legislature is finished. As for obtaining financial support from private foundations/donors, I don't see him playing well in Peoria.
As for his expertise in higher education, again, the man is not qualified. He doesn't know the industry. One would not appoint a college president to lead General Motors, why is is perfectly legitimate to think that a business leader or politician in this day age has the skills and experience to lead an institution of higher education?