Award-Winning Scientist Gets Canceled Over Her 2009 Halloween Costume – Opinion

A virologist has been caught in an off-color incident.

‘Til recently, Julie Overbaugh was in leadership at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. In addition, she taught at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

However, a surprising discovery was recently made. She dressed up for the occasion in 2009.

For Halloween.

As Michael Jackson.

Hence, despite having focused 30 years of research on aiding Africans, she’s been accused of racist “blackface.”

In another world — say, ours any time before nearly now — she’d be seen as something of a saint.

In 2016, GeekWire gawked:

Overbaugh’s professional life has been devoted to the study of HIV-causing pathogens. Along with publishing papers, managing her own research laboratory, and traveling back and forth between Kenya and the USA, Overbaugh has pursued a second passion in life: mentoring. Overbaugh is one of two recipients of this year’s Nature Award for Mentoring in Science, which is awarded to select scientists in one country or region each year.

Last year she was elected to National Academy of Sciences.

However, that was back then.

The Powers That Be told her she had to beat it.

Per The Federalist, she’s been pushed out of her position at Fred Hutchinson. And she’s resigned from the University of Washington.

The party at issue took place at the cancer center’s lab. And her gauche getup wasn’t randomly racist: The shindig’s theme was MJ’s Thriller.

No matter, in mid-January, a photo was anonymously emailed to Fred Hutch’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The image was also received by senior leadership from the University of Washington as well as UW Medicine.

Fred Hutch released an apology statement.

Part:

The act depicted…is racist, offensive and hurtful, and we offer our sincere apologies to anyone who has experienced pain or upset because of the act or this photo.

We hired an external, independent investigator and placed Julie Overbaugh (the leader of the photograph) on administrative leave while we investigated.

She was not found guilty. But she’s still guilty:

It was isolated, the investigator concluded.

Fred Hutch has announced that Dr. Overbaugh will be leaving her position as senior vice-president. She will continue working in her lab and will take a hiatus from her leadership duties in the Office of Education & Training. She will be engaged in intensive reflection and education during this period.

UW Medicine respondedYou can also:

In the United States, dressing in blackface is a long-standing racist, dehumanizing and disgusting act. This behavior is offensive and it wasn’t acceptable in 2009. [It]The Civil War was the year that the Civil War took place. It peaked in 1830s-1870s. To perform entertainment for their white audience, entertainers of color would wear black shoe polish or cork on their faces. This show depicted Black people as horrible caricatures. Black people were subject to extreme violence, such as racially-motivated intimidation and loss of property.

This incident has caused significant harm to our community. We also recognize that it took 13 years for us to take action. … Accordingly, we are convening a series of affinity group meetings in the next few weeks to provide spaces for mutual support, reflection, and response.

Oddly, the medical school’s 411 on blackface bears no resemblance to Julie’s offense.

Even more bizarre is the fact that Michael Jackson actually painted his skin. Because he was prone to pigment-purging, vitiligo and had splotches on his skin, he used makeup to make one color.

Clearly, when completely coating himself with cream, he could’ve gone with any shade.

Therefore — depending on the era to which Julie paid homage — it may well be that a cancellation occurred because a white person put on makeup to look like a black person who put on makeup to look like a white person.

Perhaps even more interesting is the collision of progressive values. There has been much written about the lack of women working in STEM fields. Which carries more weight — a feminist triumph in a toxically masculine space, or the evil of cosmetics-assisted imitation?

Blackface won out plainly.

Of course, Julie isn’t the first contemporary Caucasian to present as less pale:

Only Adam apologized for the above. Alternativly, he explained in a way that was almost unprecedented:

According to his 2019. tweetThis article was edited with euphemisms:

People assume that I am racist. I didn’t dress as a random black man. Mr. T, who is also black, was the one I wore. We loved Mr.T. If that is a PROBLEM, [jump in a lake].

It appears Julie’s been directed toward that same body of water.

Based on UW Medicine — as similarly stated by Fred Hutch — she’s currently “engaged in an intensive education process.”

Will the shamed scientist be educated enough to realize she’s racist?

We hope so. If not, she may have to run Canada.

-ALEX

 

Get more information from me

University Christens Collective Space the ‘Karl Marx Group Study Room’

Anyone’s Guess: Texas School District Arms Its Teachers, but No One Knows Who’s Packing

The Naked Reality Show welcomes military veterans with male genitals and breast implants

Check out all of my RedState work Here.

We appreciate your time! You are invited to leave comments in the Comment section.

About Post Author

Follow Us