Memphis prof.: Confederate flag a symbol of 'white heteropatriarchal capitalism'
The Confederate flag is more than a symbol of slavery and northern oppression, “[i]t is the ultimate symbol of white heteropatriarchal capitalism” according to one University of Memphis (UM) professor.
Dr. Zandria Robinson, an assistant professor of sociology at the university wrote in a series of tweets last week that the flag is a derogatory “symbol of race, class, gender, & sexuality oppression,” and claimed that the symbolism of the flag needed to be applied to all of the categories listed.
However, the criticism did not stop with the Confederate flag. Robinson continued by saying that racism, gender and sexuality oppression, as well as heteropatriarchal capitalism are all equally represented in the American flag; the only difference between the two is that the Confederate flag only “represents those things for whites.”
The confederate flag is more than a symbol of white racial superiority. It is the ultimate symbol of white heteropatriarchal capitalism.
— Zandria B. Hurston (@zfelice) June 24, 2015
The flag thus is a direct symbol of race, class, gender, & sexuality oppression. We need a more nuanced intersectional reading of the thing.
— Zandria B. Hurston (@zfelice) June 24, 2015
This isn't to say that the American flag does not represent such things, but the confederate flag only represents those things for whites.
— Zandria B. Hurston (@zfelice) June 24, 2015
For Robinson however, this isn’t the first time the professor has expressed her radical views on social media. As previously reported by Campus Reform, Robinson has an extensive history of blasting white students via Twitter and Facebook.
Robinson stated in a Facebook post earlier this year that any white students who said or even thought that black students were given preferential treatment when applying to graduate schools were spreading “racist lies,” and declared that “if you do I will come for you. And I will do so in public.” Robinson has since removed public access to her Facebook account..
The professor even declared on Twitter that she expects “death and rape threats” because, “those are the ultimate expressions of love from conservative whites these day.”
The University of Memphis did not respond respond to Campus Reform’s request for a comment.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @LettyBurgin