The name “Deborah Crowder” has transcended the borders of UNC’s “Great Unpleasantness”. Deborah is now a mainstream Scandal Diva. joining Rielle Hunter and Crystal Mangum as punchlines to endless jokes.
McClatchy’s newspapers worked frantically to “hide” the transgressions of Ms Hunter and Ms Mangum, but they may wish to praise the 18 years of malfeasances perpetrated by Ms Crowder.
What Deborah Did is actually no different that what McClatchy’s reporters / columnists have been doing for decades. This gets a bit convoluted so follow closely…..
A historical recap….
McClatchy’s N&O via its “award-winning” news clown – Rob Christensen – purposely hid the existence of John Edwards’ video vixen for over a year. Every media outlet in America was all over the story EXCEPT The N&O. Despite embedding its ace political newshound inside the Edwards’ campaign, not a word was written about John & Rielle’s sexcapades. It was a full two weeks after ALL the gory details along with incriminating photos were worldwide, that The N&O noted that something seemed amiss within their favorite Presidential wannabee. Hence Rob C became known as Rob RielleWho. An ignominous appellate that will follow Rob to his grave and beyond.
As for Crystal Mangum of Duke Lacrosse Scandal fame…. ‘twas The N&O’s then News Editor Linda Williams who ordered her reporters to refer to poor sweet innocent Crystal as “an honor student and single mother of two” and to her supposed attackers as “rich white boys whose parents live in gated golf course enclaves”. Those absurd descriptions appeared daily in the N&O long after the Triangle, the state, the nation and the planet knew that Crystal was a psycho ho and her supposed attackers were not attackers at all despite being Caucasian and, indeed, from well-to-do families. No apologies have ever been issued by McClatchy although Linda Williams was quietly “sent packing” after the smoke cleared from the journalistic embarrassment of the century.
That brings us to now and to Deborah Crowder and her sustained antics at UNCCH. Her oh-so “well-intended acts of compassion and caring” for those she deemed disadvantaged and incapable of making it without her, albeit quite illegal aid, comfort and assistance. Deborah simply GAVE 100s of young AfAm student-athletes (cough, wink) A and B grades that they not only had not earned but had not even attempted to earn.
Deborah in some obtuse deranged mindset felt she was “helping them” by “entitling” their GPAs in such a criminal fashion. Deborah (and her BFF partner-in-collusion Burgess McSwain) never lost a moment sleep over their “scheme”.
Did Crowder-McSwain view their academically criminal actions as “Reparational Academics”? Were these “student-athletes” DUE these grades they did nothing to earn because their distant ancestors had been slaves and their more recent ancestors were disadvantaged in a pre-CRA society?
This is not to imply at all that slavery was not (is not) a tragic human condition whether practiced in America in the 1600-1800s or as still practiced today in Africa and parts of the Middle East. Or that conditions for blacks were not decidedly inequitable prior to the CRA in the 1970s. Or even that the CRA was the final solution for racial equality.
But is a Deborah Crowder (and N&O) form of Reparations the answer?
Yes….. McClatchy newspapers (N&O and CharlotteObserver in NC) practice Reparational Journalism every bit as much if not much more so than Deborah Crowder practiced Reparational Academics.
If you agree with Deborah Crowder’s Scheme then you probably agree with how The N&O has treated Rev William “Bully” Barber’s sideshow antics and countless other news stories involving the black community.
The N&O (and Goodmon’s gang) oh-so-cozy relationship with Barber has been / is so absurdly co-conspirational to be laughable. If laughing is one’s only response in the face of such blatant absurdum…. be that absurdum academic or journalistic.
It could be argued successfully that Cash Michael’s The Carolinian has far more journalistic integrity when covering the local black community and black issues than The N&O is capable of.
No, I do NOT believe that N&O Publisher Orage Quarles being African-American himself is of consequence in how his newspaper purposely misrepresents issues involving the black community. McClatchy/N&O journalistic crimes are much deeper seated than one executive’s personal ethnicity.
Both Crowder and N&O Editors absolve AfAms, especially young AfAm males, of any/all personal accountability for their actions. Is it any wonder that, so absolved, they often become legitimate threats to the life and limbs of the rest of society including their own AfAm community ??
Back to the aforementioned Linda Williams. In the months following Duke Lacrosse, Williams send out an edict to her reporters that their stories were no longer to mention the race or ethnicity of criminal suspects / perps. Regardless of whether the formal police report noted race/ethnicity, the N&O news account of the crime would henceforth omit any reference. This led to the infamous “Do-Rag Rule”.
Coincidentally, about a year after Duke Lacrosse there was a sexual assault reported at a party hosted by a BLACK fraternity at Duke. A white coed reported being assaulted by an attendee at said party. The perp was not apprehended and was “at-large”. The N&O’s account described the perp as “wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, and a do-rag”. Ergo “The Do-Rag Rule”. With urban fashion changes it might be “The Hoodie Rule” in 2024 parlance. That the alleged attack occurred at a BLACK fraternity was also glaringly omitted from the N&O news story. To their professional credit, N&O reporters joked among themselves how utterly ridiculous this mandated “rule” was.
Have I mentioned that Linda Williams was “of the African American persuasion” and likely still is? Linda and infamous N&O Editor Melanie Sill were both “sent packing on the QT”. But their respective contributions to the demise of The N&O as a credible newspaper remain as their legacy.
And, of course, Rob RielleWho still contributes his ideologically radical left-wing bilge each week.
So, despite Dan Kane’s dogged determination in pursuing “truth & justice” as regards UNCCH’s assorted Crowder-esque shenanigans….. Kane’s employer – McClatchy/N&O – is as blatantly guilt of very similar “crimes against truth & justice” and for an even longer period than did Deborah Crowder.
Will we be seeing Deborah Crowder getting a bully pulpit from The N&O to expound her views? The N&O already provide such to another notorious UNCCH personality – fired William & Mary Prez, close John Edwards pal and flatulent windbag – Gene Nichol.
Gene Nichol – Deborah Crowder – and McClatchy Newspapers.
Three disgusting “peas in a pod” of unfettered self-righteous arrogance.
