ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Central Florida responded Thursday after one of its faculty members tweeted “black privilege is real” and a series of other racial statements that have many calling for his resignation.
Charles Negy, an associate professor of psychology at UCF, shared an opinion editorial post from a blog called Taki’s Magazine. According to the website, its operators, “believe political labels such as conservative and liberal are as outdated as flared trousers and Nazis.”
In a tweet, Negy shared the link to the blog and wrote:
“This article is spot on (will infuriate folks). Black privilege is real: Besides affirm. action, special scholarships and other set asides, being shielded from legitimate criticism is a privilege. But as a group, they’re missing out on much needed feedback.”
Responses to his tweet from UCF students and Knight alum called for him to step down and UCF to take action.
Being actively anti-racist means calling out and confronting racist comments. We are aware of Charles Negy’s recent personal Twitter posts, which are completely counter to UCF’s values. We are reviewing this matter further while being mindful of the First Amendment.
— UCF (@UCF) June 4, 2020
A look at some of his other tweets reveals a history of divisive and racist language.
The university later responded to calls for Negy’s removal.
“Being actively anti-racist means calling out and confronting racist comments,” UCF posted in a tweet. “We are aware of Charles Negy’s recent personal Twitter posts, which are completely counter to UCF’s values. We are reviewing this matter further while being mindful of the First Amendment.”
According to Negy’s Twitter account, he has a book due out soon focused on “white shaming."
While his account also says his opinions are his own News 6 has reached out to find out if his tweets violate UCF policy.
On Thursday, News 6 spoke to UCF professor of sociology, Dr. Jonathan Cox, who specializes in race studies. Cox reacted to Negy’s comments about race.
“The tweet that you read also really highlights just some of the misnomers that people have with regards to minorities and their lives,” Cox said. “If you think of this idea of doing well in education, staying in school, etc. right? One, we know that black and brown people are significantly more likely to be in schools that are under resourced, right? So, they don’t have as good as teachers, they don’t have as much money .... So, that’s already going to change things. Avoiding crime is really hard to do if you are in a situation of extreme or abject poverty.”
For the full interview with Cox visit ClickOrlando.com/podcasts.
According to Cox, Negy has tenure at UCF and may not be fired for his actions.