Carnegie Mellon Probes Professor’s ‘Die first, white man’ Post Amid Backlash

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh is reviewing recent social media posts by Nigerian-born academic Dr. Uju Anya, calling the remarks “hostile and threatening” following intense backlash.The controversy escalated Friday after an X user shared screenshots of an exchange involving Ms. Anya. The user quoted an old post from Ms. Anya on February 17, 2021, about the late conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. “Rush Limbaugh finally did something positive in life by dropping dead. Good Riddance to bad rubbish,” she wrote then.On Friday, the X user replied, “Weird how you only celebrate the deaths of white people. Why is that?” Ms. Anya responded, “Die first, white man, then ask yourself why I’m dancing.”Carnegie Mellon addressed the matter in a statement posted on X Saturday: “Dr. Uju Anya is currently on voluntary professional leave from the university and is not teaching courses on our campus this academic year. We are deeply concerned by recent hostile and threatening social media posts by Dr. Anya and are reviewing this matter closely.”In a follow-up post, the university added, “To be clear: These posts incorrectly imply our university’s endorsement and are contrary to our community standards and values as well as our commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and welcoming campus community.”Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, tells the New York Sun, that the university must do more than simply issue a statement. “About 98 percent of campaign contributions from individuals affiliated with Carnegie Mellon went to Democrats last election cycle, according to OpenSecrets,” Mr. DeAngelis said. “That ideological echo chamber is why Uju Anya felt emboldened to double down on social media and even claim her boss was just going to delete the emails about her misconduct. “Conservative and white students can no longer feel safe in her classroom. Carnegie Mellon needs to do more than issue another statement condemning their professor’s rhetoric. She needs to lose her job. She has no business influencing young adults, and taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to subsidize this hate.“This insanity in higher education explains our polarized society. So many young people are being indoctrinated by people like Uju Anya who are ripping the country apart while laughing all the way to the bank on taxpayer-subsidized salaries with zero accountability.”Ms. Anya’s X account became inaccessible following the backlash, prompting reports she had deactivated it. The X user continued posting about the incident, writing, “I take this death threat against me very seriously, and your failure to discipline her wishing death and injury on multiple others in the past has encouraged her to behave even more belligerently.”In another post, the user asked, “Why would anyone pay 70k to attend your school or donate to be exposed to this filth and violence?”The controversy also drew comment from X owner Elon Musk, who wrote, “This is a real professor at Carnegie Mellon University …” citing a Grok discussion that identified Ms. Anya by her full name, Obianuju Anya, as a CMU staff member since 2021.This is not the first time Ms. Anya’s online remarks have sparked backlash. In September 2022, according to a report from Punch Online, she faced global criticism after tweeting, hours before Queen Elizabeth II’s death, “I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating.” The post was later deleted for violating Twitter rules.In an interview with The Cut, Ms. Anya explained that the monarchy represented “the legacy of enslavement and colonialism,” saying her parents — colonial subjects from Trinidad and Nigeria — survived the Biafran War, during which she said, “Half of my family was slaughtered with guns and bombs that this queen sent to kill us.” Amazon founder Jeff Bezos quote-tweeted her remarks at the time, prompting Ms. Anya to reply that she hoped those harmed by him would remember him as fondly as she remembered “her colonizers.”

Carnegie Mellon Probes Professor’s ‘Die first, white man’ Post Amid Backlash

Carnegie Mellon Probes Professor’s ‘Die first, white man’ Post Amid Backlash

More from the New York Sun

‘The Doors’ Film Still ‘Breaks On Through’ 35 Years Later

Two Supreme Court Tempests Revisited on Stage

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Supreme Court Lawyer Tells the Sun Mogul Was ‘Deprived of a Fair Trial’

The Pentagon Now Owns a Piece of Venezuela’s Oil; Venezuelans Wonder What They Get in Return

Growing Number of Health Groups Join Court Fight Against Obamacare Changes

Interest Payments on America’s $40 Trillion National Debt Will Soon Exceed Defense Budget and Medicaid Combined

Vance’s Convoluted Scheme To Pay Parents To Stay at Home

Program To Reduce Prescription Drug Costs Is ‘Band-Aid on Exploding Healthcare Costs’ Even as More Drugmakers Join

More from the New York Sun

‘The Doors’ Film Still ‘Breaks On Through’ 35 Years Later

Two Supreme Court Tempests Revisited on Stage

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Supreme Court Lawyer Tells the Sun Mogul Was ‘Deprived of a Fair Trial’

The Pentagon Now Owns a Piece of Venezuela’s Oil; Venezuelans Wonder What They Get in Return

Growing Number of Health Groups Join Court Fight Against Obamacare Changes

Interest Payments on America’s $40 Trillion National Debt Will Soon Exceed Defense Budget and Medicaid Combined

Vance’s Convoluted Scheme To Pay Parents To Stay at Home

Program To Reduce Prescription Drug Costs Is ‘Band-Aid on Exploding Healthcare Costs’ Even as More Drugmakers Join