‘Ally’ Sues Howard Law For $2M During Black History Month, Alleging Racial Discrimination

In 2016, campaigning in a Michigan suburb that is around 2 percent Black, Donald Trump prodded Black voters to give him a chance, asking: “What the hell do you have to lose?” and boasted to the nearly all-white audience: “At the end of four years, I guarantee you that I will get over 95 percent of the African-American vote. I promise you.” Earlier this year, the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, stated matter-of-factly that “unlike the African-American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things.” More crudely, he told the radio host Charlamagne Tha God in May: “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.” (He later distanced himself from both comments.)

Regardless of the specific wording used to summon it, the “Leave the Democratic Plantation” — much like its Moynihan-esque “Why Don’t Black Mothers And Fathers Get It Together” cousin — are stock tools in the “Don’t Get Mad At Me, I’m Just Asking Questions” utility belt that allow you to make broken “cultural” arguments without crossing the line by saying that Black people are broken. It is a common right-wing playing good faith tactic.

None of those conservative talking points are take-down arguments by the way — most of them can be addressed by reading The New Jim Crow (which gives an in-depth analysis of the financial incentives for targeting Black communities as prison fodder) and listening to this catchy little jingle.

And as a person who has had these conversations for years now, even with the people willing to move past the well-worn bookbag metaphor, gingerly holding someone’s hand through coalition building is a taxing endeavor. I’d imagine Howard Law’s students, enough of them at least, felt the same way.

Some students responded negatively to Newman’s post and reached out to school administrators, prompting Newman’s removal from one of his group chats for the class, according to the allegations.

Newman also described feeling “utterly disenfranchised” at the school and compared himself to a black student at a primarily white university. The student response was again largely negative, with some calling his comment “offensive,” he claimed.

Newman repeatedly apologized for offending anyone, stressing he was seeking to “learn, not just law, but to learn the thoughts and experiences of people of color,” the lawsuit stated.

But Newman allegedly faced more overt hostility, with many students starting to refer to him as “mayo king” (a perceived reference to his race) and “white panther,” and students claimed that “controversies” that they blamed on Newman had caused “severe stress” and “distracted them from their studies.

Tl;dr — I can get why folks found him annoying and didn’t want him in a couple group chats. And while he may not have liked the “Mayo King” moniker, it is pretty hard to not see that buddy was LARPing a Family Guy episode.

Whatever, man. Best of luck to Michael Scott Michael Newman in all of his endeavors.

How the Black Vote Became a Monolith [New York Times]
White student Sues Historically Black College Howard University For $2M Over Racial Discrimination [New York Post]

P.S. — I’d bet $10 the “White Panther” thing started as a joke. Do you not get how cool of a nickname that is? “Oh no, they called me a pale king, oh the huemanity!”

I’m sorry but “white panther” is sending me lmaooo that was funny. But in any case how is it THEIR fault he’s struggling with white fragility?? 😭 https://t.co/xGlnXz1Wyi pic.twitter.com/TN1SKTeCeq

— scorpio supreme🦂✨ (@jalauriak) February 27, 2023

Imagine going to a HBCU and not knowing The Dozens are a thing? Getting accepted to an HBCU and starting a lawsuit because you got called names as people tried to be friends with you is…well I might get in trouble if I say it. Take it away, Logic!

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.