A professor at Carnegie Mellon who provoked anger by wishing the Queen a “excruciatingly painful” death has now labeled the monarch’s rule as “violent” and doubled down on her remarks.
Uju Anya made these views in an interview with the website of NBC News on Thursday, stating, “There are people really throughout the world who are happy at this woman’s death, not because they’re vile or cold, but because her rule and, by extension, the reign of her monarchy were violent.”
Anya criticized individuals who had criticized her tweets, adding, “I find it offensive that the oppressed and survivors of abuse are expected to be polite or reverent when their oppressors pass away.”
Anya, 46, stated that her mother was born in Trinidad and her father was born in Nigeria. They met in England in the 1950s, where they were both sent to attend school.
She stated that she was a “child of colonization.”
In addition to the colonization of Nigeria, there was also human enslavement in the Caribbean, she said. My immediate ancestors include not just those who were colonized but also those who were enslaved by the British.’
Jeff Bezos was among those who denounced Anya’s initial post wishing a horrible death for the Queen, who died on Thursday.
Carnegie Mellon issued a statement distancing itself from Anya’s statements while affirming its support for free speech and her right to express them.
The progressive Carnegie Mellon professor whose tweet in response to the death of Queen Elizabeth II was so scathing that Twitter removed it has continued to make anti-monarchy sentiments.
Anya was supported by Zoé Samudzi, a Rhode Island School of Design photography professor of Zimbabwean descent who tweeted her own ridiculous statement about the deceased royal.
She stated, “As the first generation of my family not born in a British colony, if given the opportunity, I would dance on the graves of every member of the royal family, especially hers.”
The professor of Nigerian descent stated that she finds it offensive that the downtrodden and survivors of violence are expected to be polite or courteous when their abusers die.
Despite the fact that Queen Elizabeth II has ruled a post-colonial Britain, there have been calls to tackle the monarchy’s colonial background and, as Anya puts it, their continuous attempts to “interfere in African matters.”
Anya was supported by Rhode Island School of Design photography professor Zoé Samudzi, a Zimbabwean-American.
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, employs Uju Anya as a teacher and associate professor. Following the news that the Queen was in poor health, she tweeted the vile comments.
In her first inflammatory tweet, which has since been deleted by the social networking platform, the professor wrote, “I heard the king of a thieving, raping, and genocidal empire is finally passing away.” May her suffering be unbearable.
This vile woman and her murderous throne murdered generations of my ancestors on both sides of the family, and she oversaw a government that fostered the genocide that my parents and siblings survived. May she perish in torment’
Twitter removed the postings because they violated its policies.
The horrible sentiment expressed by Anya during the Queen’s final hours has generated a blaze of outrage and shed light on hundreds of previous attempts to get the outspoken professor fired from her teaching position for violent and racist remarks.
Carnegie Mellon University answered that Anya’s beliefs do not reflect those of the university, but refused to enable her to face sanctions and have not fired her.
We do not condone the disrespectful and inappropriate statements posted by Uju Anya today on her social media account, the institution stated in a statement issued on Twitter Thursday evening.
“Free expression is fundamental to the mission of higher education,” they said, implying that Anya would not face repercussions for her tweet.
“However, the opinions she expressed in no way reflect the institution’s principles or the standards of discourse we strive to promote,” they concluded.
And on Friday’s episode of ABC’s The View, co-host Sunny Hostin stated, “If you think about it, the monarchy was created on the backs of black and brown people.”
She took issue with the Imperial State Crown and the Queen’s scepter in particular.
Hostin adds, “She donned a crown with stones stolen from India and Africa.”
“What you’re seeing now, at least in the black communities I’m a part of, is that they want reparations.
Along with the sceptre, the Imperial State Crown serves as the chief crown of the British monarchy. At her 1953 coronation, the Queen was photographed with the sceptre and glittering crown.
The Koh-i-noor diamond from India adorns the 1937 crown designed for the Queen Mother, while the Great Star of Africa adorns the scepter of the Queen.
The Imperial State Crown, together with a scepter, serves as the major crown for the British monarch, while the Koh-i-noor is a part of the Treaty of Lahore.
Throughout the years, numerous individuals have claimed ownership of the Great Star of Africa, including Mughal emperors, shahs of Iran, emirs of Afghanistan, and Sikh maharajas.
Thursday, Her Majesty passed away at the age of 96. She died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, accompanied by members of the Royal Family.
Carnegie Mellon University has distanced itself from Anya, stating to DailyMail.com that it “does not endorse the rude and unpleasant comments.”
Thousands of online users, including millionaire Bezos, condemned Anya’s horrible comments regarding the Queen.
Jeff Bezos remarked, “This person is purportedly working to improve the world? I don’t believe so. Wow.’
The journalist Piers Morgan added, “You filthy, horrible idiot.”
One outraged user stated, “Don’t expect that from you, but do expect normal courtesy and respect for such a tragedy.” You are a disgusting human being if you cannot provide that at this time.
Another person remarked, “You are very rude and impolite.” You make such a horrible and contemptuous remark about the recently deceased.
Carnegie Mellon University has distanced itself from Anya, stating to DailyMail.com that it “does not support the rude and unpleasant comments.”
A spokeswoman stated, “Free expression is important to the objective of higher education; but, the ideas she expressed do not represent the institution’s principles or the standards of discourse we want to promote.”
Hundreds of individuals condemned the professor’s nasty remarks regarding the Queen’s dying hours.
The ‘anti-racist’ lecturer has been accused of racism in the past due to the language she has used online; in one instance, the Foundational Black American organization established a petition to have her removed from Carnegie Mellon University.
Anya, who claims to be an expert on “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” was reprimanded for using an ethnic slur that meaning “cotton pickers” or “wild beasts.”
Nearly 800 individuals signed the petition to get her fired.
It stated, “Dr. Uju Anya cannot utilize the Carnegie Mellon University Department of Modern Languages as a platform to propagate systemic racism through her flagrant use of ethnic insults on social media in reference to Foundational Black Americans.
If institutions allow professors to become comfortable with using language as a weapon against people of color by people of color, this is a step backward in our effort to eliminate systematic racism and discrimination for all people.
“Society MUST hold all individuals equally accountable, and we call on Carnegie Mellon University to take action against this type of heinous behavior in order to protect the name and integrity of the Higher Learning Institution.”
One petition signer stated that the professor cannot be trusted around children.
They continued, “I worry about the children.” She cannot be trusted with children. I would not want a racist of any race to instruct my children.
Someone else remarked, “She should be fired.” She should under no circumstances be permitted to teach Black American youngsters. She poses a threat to any Black American with whom she comes into contact. FIRE HER NOW! ‘
And a third signatory to the petition urging the university to dismiss her stated, “She is a hypocrite and an ethnic bigot.”
In May 2022, when he mocked the death of YouTuber Kevin Samuels, the caustic academic also found herself in trouble.
Samuels’ controversial dating advice earned him 1.42 million YouTube subscribers and nearly as many Instagram followers. His death occurred earlier this year.
However, following his death she said, “Kevin Samuels told men their value was in their pocketbook.” He passed away in a 1BR sublet with less than $1,000 to his name, no spouse, friend, or children willing to claim him, and only his poor mother begged and borrowed to bury his vile corpse.
Jeff Bezos was among the many critics of the professor’s offensive tweets.
On September 8, 2022, Her Majesty, Queen of the United Kingdom, passed away.
There is no way that you are not a woman with so much hatred in your heart, and we certainly don’t need that in women who hold prominent positions in our society. Horrible!! ‘
A third social media user, outraged by the words, stated: ‘There’s always someone trying for attention during a tragedy, which you might understand if the target was a despised public figure, but these comments are terrible, and they come from a verified blue tick account. You should feel shame for your actions.
In addition to Anya and her horrible statements, a large number of individuals attacked and mocked the Queen on social media as news of her terrible death spread. The death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch is mourned by millions across the globe.
Associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Michigan, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, wrote: ‘Asking the colonized how to feel about their colonizer’s health and welfare is like telling my people to idolize the Confederacy.
“Respect the dead” when we’re all tweeting in English. How did that happen, hm? We recently selected this language? ‘
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s former adviser responded to her tweet and alluded to their happiness at the Queen’s death by stating, “I cannot fathom what my Irish grandparents would be experiencing.”
Eugene Scott, a political reporter for the Washington Post, said that discussing the British Empire and its repercussions was a suitable topic of debate as the adored Queen lay on her deathbed.
He wrote: “Real question for the “now is not the appropriate time to discuss the negative effects of colonialism” crowd: When is the acceptable time to discuss the negative effects of colonialism?
‘
As Jemele Hill, a contributor to The Atlantic, stated, ‘Journalists are tasked with putting legacies in their proper context, therefore it is completely legitimate to analyze the queen and her involvement in the disastrous effects of continuous colonialism.’
In May 2022, he insulted the death of YouTuber Kevin Samuels, which landed the spiteful academic in hot trouble.
57-year-old YouTuber Kevin Samuels passed away in Atlanta earlier this year. But Anya was criticized for making light of his death in May 2022.
The Queen’s death was confirmed on Thursday. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace stated, “The Queen passed away quietly at Balmoral this afternoon.”
This evening, the King and Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral and will travel to London tomorrow.
Britain and her Commonwealth states will observe a ten-day period of mourning following the death of the Queen, during which millions of her subjects in the UK and abroad will come to grips with her loss.
And as her son King Charles ascends to the throne, there will also be a celebration of her remarkable 70-year reign, which saw her reach her Platinum Jubilee this year – a milestone that will likely never again be reached by a British monarch.
Charles, who became king upon the demise of his mother, remarked, “We sorrow deeply the passing of a cherished monarch and a much-loved mother.”
I am certain that her loss will be keenly felt across the nation, the Realms, and the Commonwealth, as well as by many people around the globe.