Penn Law Professor Amy Wax wants to start discussions about race. But her latest attempt -- a controversial op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal -- has drawn criticism from the black community at Penn.
Wax published the piece, entitled "Some Truths About Black Disadvantage," on Jan. 3. The column argues that blacks should take responsibility for the disparities between blacks and whites in America, rather than regarding themselves as the victims of racism.
"Bad habits take on a life of their own, impeding the ability to grasp widening opportunities as society progresses, discrimination abates and old obstacles fall away," Wax wrote. "The victim himself has changed in ways that place him beyond the reach of outside help alone."
Nakia Thomas, a law student and vice president of the Black Law Students Association, said that the piece ignored the extent to which racism affects the black community.
"It seemed a really simplistic response to the challenges faced by the African-American community," Thomas said, "There are a lot of factors that play into why our community might be regarded as" disadvantaged.
Wax said she saw the article as addressing racial issues in a straightforward manner.
"I think people have a credible fear of talking about these topics. ... They're afraid of being called a racist. That doesn't particularly strike fear in my heart ... I don't think I am," she said.
Nick Vaughan, a law student and member of the BLSA, said he disagreed with Wax's comparison of racism to a car accident, whereby she stated that the driver should pay for rehabilitation for the pedestrian he injures, but only the pedestrian can make himself walk again.
"My parable would be that the car is continuously running you over," Vaughan said. "Before, you were being run over by an 18-wheeler. After a few hundred years of that, then it's something smaller than that, maybe just a full-sized pickup. ... Nothing has really been done to address the 18-wheeler."
Wax maintains that her article was driven by statistical evidence and that most responses she received were positive.
"There is a very huge difference in family structure and stability [between black and white communities] that make a very significant difference that people don't want to talk about," she said.
"In the first five or 10 years of life ... that is where there are huge shortfalls" in the black community, she added.
Wax said the article was not a criticism of affirmative action, however.
"I'm not opposed to [governmental] programs, but to think that they are going to change things is delusional," Wax said.
Other law students thought Wax's article was a welcome break from a climate of political correctness.
"I actually think that the argument that she made in her last paper is somewhat correct," said Rashad Evans, a law student and member of the BLSA. She discusses "the extent to which we should rely on the law to address problems, as opposed to accountability and action within."
Despite the criticism voiced by several of the organization's members, BLSA officers have no official plans to respond to Wax's piece.
"We don't have a response planned," Thomas said. "It's certainly something that's up for consideration ... I definitely think when there's more discourse, it's better for everyone involved."
Evans said students were reluctant to react publicly because criticisms of Wax's past work have been unsuccessful. The BLSA held a discussion forum with Wax last spring after she published an article on racial disparities in academic performance. The article, co-authored with University of Chicago Economics professor James Heckman, was titled "Home Alone," and printed last January in The Journal.
The forum "didn't go all too well," Evans said. "She was very dismissive of a lot of people's views."
Aisha Vinegar -- a 2004 Penn Law graduate who organized the event -- thought that it was effective in generating discussion about the column.
"It was a success in terms of the fact that people got to express their feelings," she said.
Thomas said she thought a panel discussion -- rather than addressing questions to Wax alone -- would help provide contrasting viewpoints.
"I think a panel ... would be great -- with a different perspective," Thomas said. "There could be a real debate instead of [Wax] preaching from a pulpit."
Wax, however, was pleased with the discussion and said she would be willing to defend her work again.
"It created an open atmosphere for discussion in the Law School," Wax said.
