A few thoughts on the writing and publishing strategy of McWhorter‘s piece. In the long tradition of such pieces, he details a few cases that have received much recent blog and Twitter discussion: Princeton, Bryn Mawr, Dalton School. 1/
https://twitter.com/DrIbram/status/1355587080580161536
But this is not a piece of reporting. Nobody at these schools has been contacted for comment. The people involved in the organizing of protest or are not asked. The evidence from on which very dramatic conclusions are drawn is wishy-washy. 2/ 
Every once in a while, students at a university or college will lose a few weeks of formal learning. That can be due to a natural disaster, a disease outbreak, a strike, or a protest. 3/
What is lost in formal learning is quite often made up in other experience—how to handle a natural disaster or disease outbreak, what strikes and protests are about. McWhorter’s central worry that this will spell the end of these institutions is a bit ridiculous. 4/
Princeton will survive this petition, John. 5/
We, as outsiders to these schools, can look at the documents that have made it into the public, have critical thoughts about how some of demands are stated or what they imply, and still respect the schools‘ autonomy, the handling of the situation between the parties involved. 6/
It’s a normal political process. There is no reason to see the end of higher education in it. 7/
(I, too, was not fond of the suggestion in the Princeton petition that a committee should be created to judge and penalize the racism of statements by faculty and students.) 8/
So, what does this piece add to the discussion? It is not reporting. It offers no insider perspective into any of the institutional debates mentioned. It fearmongers that the anti-racist demands „would destroy the institutions.“ 9/
And it does this. It tells us a #Quillette article that described a petition as „civil war“ and the petitioners „terrorist“ is a model of logical, civil, and progressive discourse. A model that we „must“ follow.
LOL.
10/
LOL.
10/
By the by, this is a #Quillette editor’s response to Kendi’s thread critiquing McWhorter. Really can’t stomach two Black scholars disagreeing with each other, can he.
The crudeness of Jon Kay’s response stinks worse than a never-washed dog. 11/
The crudeness of Jon Kay’s response stinks worse than a never-washed dog. 11/
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