A Howard University journalism professor stunned the country in October 2025 when she published a Substack post urging white political allies to “be like John Brown,” a call that sounded more like a repudiation of law and order than a lesson in moral courage. Americans who still believe universities are places of sober debate should be alarmed that a tenured professor would publicly recommend emulating a man best known for violent vigilantism rather than peaceful reform. This isn’t abstract theory — it’s a dangerous message coming from a classroom with influence.
In the post the professor asked white allies to consider “what am I willing to burn so somebody else can breathe,” and she dismissed careful deliberation and organized civic engagement as inadequate responses to injustice. That language — urging people to sacrifice safety and endorse destruction — crosses a line between passionate advocacy and reckless romanticizing of violence. Conservatives and everyday Americans see this not as moral clarity but as reckless incitement, especially when it comes from someone entrusted to educate young minds.
Let’s be clear about the historical reference she invoked: John Brown led the Pottawatomie killings and the Harpers Ferry raid, episodes that included the execution of civilians and an attempted armed insurrection that ended in his capture and hanging. Whatever one thinks of his motives in the 19th century, celebrating his tactics today amounts to praising unlawful violence and vigilante justice. Universities should teach history responsibly, not glamorize bloodshed under the guise of righteousness.
The predictable chorus of left-wing excuses — that this is merely “provocative academic rhetoric” or a metaphor for commitment — rings hollow to families watching campuses radicalize. Conservatives aren’t interested in policing thought, but we will not stand by while professors normalize violent second options and trash the principle that change must come through law and democratic institutions. This episode proves once more that certain campuses have become factories for grievance and extremism rather than engines of honest inquiry.
What should happen next is obvious: Howard University administrators must publicly address this, defend the rule of law, and explain why a professor with these views remains in a position of influence over students. Taxpayers, donors, and parents deserve transparency and accountability when taxpayer-subsidized institutions appear to flirt with endorsing criminality. If universities will not police themselves, state oversight and funding consequences should follow to protect students and communities from radicalizing teachers.
Patriotic Americans of every background should reject any message that elevates arson and armed uprising as a virtue. Real allyship is built on building institutions, strengthening families, and defending liberty — not telling people to burn what others have worked for in the name of moral theater. Parents, alumni, and elected leaders must wake up, take back our campuses, and insist that higher education returns to educating citizens instead of recruiting foot soldiers for ideological chaos.
