The Selective Persecution of Nathan Cofnas

Key Takeaways

Oxford’s backlash tests whether academic freedom protects controversial inquiry or merely institutionally approved opinions.

T he organization Led By Donkeys pulled off a stunt at : Two activists dressed as construction workers used a cherry-picker truck to place a Ku Klux Klan hood over the head of the statue at Oriel College around 5 a.m. on Thursday, and they placed a sign saying “RACISTS WELCOME HERE” in its hands. Why? “Next week, this college will host a talk by the white supremacist , who stated that in a fair meritocratic system, black people like me would ‘disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sport and entertainment,’” Kehinde Andrews said . Andrews is the first professor of black studies in the United Kingdom and author of, among other books, The Psychosis of Whiteness.

Cofnas is no stranger to controversy. He’s currently under fire for previous writings about IQ differences across racial groups and for exposing the extensive academic misconduct committed by Cambridge professor Jason Arday, who was found dead amid the ensuing controversy. “It was a media lynching,” Andrews claimed. The organization repeatedly suggested on social media that, by hosting Cofnas, the college is “staying true to form” because “it continues to display this statue of Cecil Rhodes, the notorious imperialist who created brutally racist colonies in southern Africa.”

About the Author

Abigail Anthony

Abigail Anthony is a staff writer at National Review.

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Key Takeaways

Oxford’s backlash tests whether academic freedom protects controversial inquiry or merely institutionally approved opinions.
Selective appeals to student harm risk turning inclusion into a veto over debate.
Universities should answer disputed claims with evidence, not treat denunciation as a substitute for argument.

T he organization Led By Donkeys pulled off a stunt at : Two activists dressed as construction workers used a cherry-picker truck to place a Ku Klux Klan hood over the head of the statue at Oriel College around 5 a.m. on Thursday, and they placed a sign saying “RACISTS WELCOME HERE” in its hands. Why? “Next week, this college will host a talk by the white supremacist , who stated that in a fair meritocratic system, black people like me would ‘disappear from almost all high-profile positions outside of sport and entertainment,’” Kehinde Andrews said . Andrews is the first professor of black studies in the United Kingdom and author of, among other books, The Psychosis of Whiteness.

Cofnas is no stranger to controversy. He’s currently under fire for previous writings about IQ differences across racial groups and for exposing the extensive academic misconduct committed by Cambridge professor Jason Arday, who was found dead amid the ensuing controversy. “It was a media lynching,” Andrews claimed. The organization repeatedly suggested on social media that, by hosting Cofnas, the college is “staying true to form” because “it continues to display this statue of Cecil Rhodes, the notorious imperialist who created brutally racist colonies in southern Africa.”