THE
fly-by
MEMernet
CITY REPORTER By Jackson Baker
“Black Candidates Should Matter”
VAC C I N E H ES ITANT
U of M Law School faces charges of racial bias in hiring, promotions.
S US H I J I M M I R E D UX MEMernet citizens had thoughts about our story last week announcing Sushi Jimmi would leave Memphis. “Haven’t we heard this story like five times before?” asked CaptainInane-O on Reddit. On Twitter, @ViewFromBoxSeat wondered, “Anybody seen an update on Sushi Jimmi? It’s been over 24 hours since the last article about him.”
May 6-12, 2021
Edited by Toby Sells
A roundup of Memphis on the World Wide Web.
In the first in a sort of Reddit grab bag this week, Memphis user Jwiley92 shared this infographic (from the Centers for Disease Control) to show which populations in Shelby County were the most hesitant to get a COVID-19 vaccination.
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Questions, Answers + Attitude
“B O OTY C LAP PAR K I N G PAS S” No one on the Memphis subreddit could quite explain just what was going on with this photo captured at Overton Park and posted by benefit_ of_mrkite.
User baabahope got closest, maybe, noting “that’s a booty clap parking pass.” Other users agreed, though, that whatever was going on was Memphis AF.
A major potential revolt is brewing in the University of Memphis Law School, based on what Black PHOTOS BY U OF M LAW SCHOOL students and a senior AfricanAmerican faculty member see as continuing racial injustice on the part of the institution. The disaffected faculty member is Alena Allen, the wife of Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, and she has announced via a letter to school authorities her intention to resign in order to underscore her dissatisfaction with a system in which she writes “[f]aculty-favored Black candidates have been denied opportunities to lead.” Allen’s pending resignation has prompted the University chapter of the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) to charge the university with “racial bias” and to put forth a series of The Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (left); Alena Allen is an Associate demands of the administration. Professor of Law (inset) This document drew further reproach in the form of an anonymous email from a “concerned faculty member” who calls ing to say that what has happened was quite simply offensive.” upon the rest of the faculty to support the student demands so In their supportive protest, the NBLSA members say, “The as to avoid “a catastrophic crisis at the law school.” law school has never had a Black dean. Ole Miss has had a In her letter of resignation — written, she says within it, Black dean. University of Arkansas has had a Black dean. “in the wake of George Floyd’s murder” — Allen, listed on Memphis, a city where roughly 66 percent of the population the law school website as an associate professor and director is Black, has never had a Black dean. … There is real value in of faculty research, reviews several instances in which she having a diverse leadership team.” says credentialed Black applicants were bypassed for promoAs Professor Allen had done, the students also profess tion and for the position of dean, in favor of less well-qualicriticism of the current law school dean, Kate Schaffzin, hired fied white applicants. by the university president and provost three years ago over a “The law school has never had a woman of color attain the faculty-endorsed Black male candidate despite her own lesser rank of full professor,” Allen writes. An email from her elaboendorsement by faculty members. rating on that line suggests that it does not apply to herself. Allen writes, “My body tenses every time that Kate proShe adds, “The Provost approved my promotion in January. I motes her diversity and inclusion efforts because I view Kate’s resigned after he met with the faculty on March 12th and sughire as the exact opposite of diversity and inclusion. Facultygested that he did me (and the white male who also applied) favored Black candidates have been denied opportunities a favor by granting our promotions. He said our promotion to lead. I sincerely grapple with whether a non-problematic standards lacked rigor. It was incredibly offensive. He later explanation can exist for why a white candidate with a negative expressed regret and tried to clarify his remarks via email.” vote is hired over a Black candidate with a highly favorable She writes: “I have tried to move past all of this but I figura- faculty vote.” tively can’t breathe. … If Black Lives Matter, then Black candiThe students, in their protest, say, “Students were shocked dates should matter. If Black Lives Matter, then the feelings of to learn that for the past two dean cycles the faculty voted and Black faculty should matter. … I don’t view the status quo as ranked Black candidates higher than the white deans that the business as usual or acceptable, and I am exhausted from havProvost chose to hire.”
