Education

Duke Prof Refuses To Apologize For Remarks About Blacks

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Blake Neff Reporter
Font Size:

An elderly Duke University professor is under fire but refusing to apologize for online comments he made that criticized black Americans for using “strange” names and having an inferior work ethic compared to Asians.

Prof. Jerry Hough, an 80-year-old political science professor, made his statements in the comments section for a New York Times editorial piece from over a week ago, “How Racism Doomed Baltimore.” His six-paragraph tirade argued that Asians have worked hard to integrate with American society, while blacks have instead excluded themselves to their detriment.

“I am a professor at Duke University,” wrote Hough. “Every Asian student has a very simple old American first name that symbolizes their desire for integration. Virtually every black has a strange new name that symbolizes their lack of desire for integration. The amount of Asian-white dating is enormous and so surely will be the intermarriage. Black-white dating is almost non-existemt [sic] because of the ostracism by blacks of anyone who dates a white.”

Hough had even harsher criticisms, however, for wealthy, mostly-white Democrats who he said were exploiting poor blacks.

“The Democrats are an alliance of Westchester and Harlem, of Montgomery County and intercity Baltimore,” he said. “Westchester and Montgomery get a Citigroup asset stimulus policy that triples the market. The blacks get a decline in wages after inflation.”

Unsurprisingly, activists and Hough’s fellow professors have lashed out, with one even calling Hough’s statements a “micro-noose,” possibly a reference to a noose that was found hanging from a tree on-campus in April.

Rather than stand by Hough’s right to free speech, Duke has issued a categorical condemnation of Hough’s statements.

“Duke University has a deeply-held commitment to inclusiveness grounded in respect for all, and we encourage our community to speak out when they feel that those ideals are challenged or undermined, as they were in this case,” said Duke vice president of public affairs Michael Schoefeld. The school also said Hough’s statements were “noxious” and “have no place in civil discourse.”

While some publications have reported that Hough was suspended over his remarks, the professor was actually already on planned academic leave, and Duke hasn’t levied any additional punishments. Hough was already planning to retire in 2016.

Hough isn’t backing down, however. In an email to the News & Observer, he said could say what he wanted without fear, since at age 80 he has no need to worry about his career or reputation.

“I don’t know if you will find anyone to agree with me,” he said in the email. “Anyone who says anything is a racist and ignorant as I was called by a colleague. The question is whether you want to get involved in the harassment and few do. I am 80 and figure I can speak the truth as I see it. Ignorant I am not.”

Hough also told a local TV station that “In writing me, no one has said I was wrong, just racist.”

Hough’s full comments:

This editorial is what is wrong. The Democrats are an alliance of Westchester and Harlem, of Montgomery County and intercity Baltimore. Westchester and Montgomery get a Citigroup asset stimulus policy that triples the market. The blacks get a decline in wages after inflation.

But the blacks get symbolic recognition in an utterly incompetent mayor who handled this so badly from beginning to end that her resignation would be demanded if she were white.The blacks get awful editorials like this that tell them to feel sorry for themselves.

In 1965 the Asians were discriminated against as least as badly as blacks. That was reflected in the word “colored.” The racism against what even Eleanor Roosevelt called the yellow races was at least as bad.

So where are the editorials that say racism doomed the Asian-Americans. They didn’t feel sorry for themselves, but worked doubly hard.

I am a professor at Duke University. Every Asian student has a very simple old American first name that symbolizes their desire for integration. Virtually every black has a strange new name that symbolizes their lack of desire for integration. The amount of Asian-white dating is enormous and so surely will be the intermarriage. Black-white dating is almost non-existemt because of the ostracism by blacks of anyone who dates a white.

It was appropriate that a Chinese design won the competition for the Martin Luther King state. King helped them overcome. The blacks followed Malcolm X.

Follow Blake on Twitter

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.