Education

Ivy League Prof Calls Ben Carson A ‘Coon’

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Blake Neff Reporter
Font Size:

An Ivy League professor has suggested naming Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson “coon of the year” for saying it should be legal for private citizens to display the Confederate flag.

Anthea Butler is a religious studies professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and also an active Twitter user with more than 62,000 tweets. Last week, another user tweeted a link to a Sports Illustrated article describing Carson’s declaration that NASCAR fans should be allowed to show the Confederate flag.

“If only there was a ‘coon of the year’ award…” Butler tweeted in response. The tweet was spotted by the website Campus Reform, which grabbed a quick screenshot. The website contacted Butler for comment, which led the tweet being quickly deleted:

Anthea Butler tweet

Anthea Butler tweet

“Coon” is a common slur for blacks, though it’s worth noting Butler is black herself. (RELATED: Anthea Butler Has History Of Incendiary Statements, Is Despised By Students)

Butler has made inflammatory racial remarks before, labeling God a “white racist” back in 2013 following the acquittal of George Zimmerman, and once describing the death of Michael Brown as a “blood sacrifice” for “America’s racist god.” When criticized for her rhetoric, she has pointed out that “I have tenure, I can’t get fired.”

UPenn religion department chair Justin McDaniel told The Washington Examiner that Butler is on sabbatical and that the department has no comment on the matter, while a Carson campaign spokesperson said the tweet “does not merit a response.”

Follow Blake on Twitter

Send tips to blake@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

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.