University student groups are speaking out against a comment made by U.Va. professor Douglas Muir on social media in which he compared the Black Lives Matter to the Klu Klux Klan.
The comment, which has since been deleted, was made on a post from Charlottesville realtor Roger Voisinet published Oct. 4.
However, the effects of the comment can be seen around the University community as members express sadness and concern regarding Muir’s remarks.
“It is of serious concern to us that one faculty member — Douglas Muir — has taken it upon himself to publicly express views which are factually and historically inaccurate and which are undeniably intolerant,” the Darden Student Association said.
The Black Business Student Forum described Muir’s comparison as “outrageous” and ignorant.
“Black Lives Matter was founded as an expression of Ms. [Alicia] Garza and others’ justified discontent with the experience of many African Americans,” BBSF said. “No protest can compare to the terror which the Ku Klux Klan has inflicted upon citizens of our community.”
While BBSF said that Muir was entitled to his own opinion regardless of its ignorance, “he is not entitled to his own facts.”
Representatives of the University community, the Engineering school and the Darden school all expressed that Muir’s views are inconsistent with their respective schools’ values as a whole.
“The values of our community exist in striking opposition to Doug Muir’s stance,” the DSA said.
The DSA said they “vehemently disagree” with Muir’s statement and called upon the University and the Darden School of Business to uphold their values of “inclusion, equality and a dedication to truth and accuracy.”
The BBSF commented that they “believe in what Darden represents” and “would hate for Mr. Muir’s actions to damage our unique and welcoming community.”
“This comment does not in any way reflect the Darden community,” BBSF said. “However, mindsets like these have the potential to significantly impact the positive community we seek to foster and protect.”
The Muslim Students Association said that Muir’s “heartless display” was the “antithesis of this community’s values.
"As U.Va. students, we like to believe that all facets of the University Community - not only the students and administrators, but the professors as well - believe in the values of trust, respect, honor, unity, and community,” MSA said. “The Muslim Students Association stands in solidarity with the University Community in condemning any and all insensitivity, discrimination and heartless acts of ignorance."
Despite Muir’s comments, BBSF remains optimistic about the progress of race relations on Grounds, calling this past week a “monumental week for diversity at Darden” after hosting an event on racial injustice and holding a solidarity movement called “One Darden.”
“This progress will not be overshadowed and discredited by the comments of one faculty member,” BBSF said in a statement. “The kind of inaccurate and offensive comments made by Mr. Muir threatens to damage the inclusive community that the student body, alumni, Dean Beardsley and the faculty and staff of Darden have worked hard to foster.”
Both the DSA and the BBSF called for the University and the Darden school to respond and take action against Muir.
“We are hopeful that the actions that the University of Virginia takes in response to Mr. Muir’s comments will reflect its commitment to truth and an inclusive environment,” BBSF said.
In a statement, Black Student Alliance President Bryanna Miller, a third-year College student, offered a solution: requiring faculty members to participate in a diversity seminar that covers current affairs.
“Douglas Muir is not the only faculty member with ignorant and prejudicial views,” Miller said. “You cannot have a community of trust and tolerance if ignorance and bigotry remain a part of the status quo. These seminars should cover topics including Black Lives Matter, islamophobia, xenophobia, sexism and more.”
Miller added that due to America’s current political climate, “tensions are high and our community is not immune to pressures from the outside world.”
“U.Va. prides itself on being a University where professors and students have a unique relationship grounded in intellectual exchange,” Miller said. “In order for this to be true, U.Va. must invest in ensuring that professors are equipped to have informed and historically accurate conversations with students on issues that matter.”
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