An Open Letter To Dr. Nathalie Edmond And Everyone Who Clapped For Her
A Case Study In Co-opting DEI In Order To Share Racist, Antisemitic Propaganda
This is the first of several letters about this incident that I will continue publishing until Dr. Edmond publicly apologizes, recants these materials, and explains how she plans to ensure Jewish students at her university will not be affected by her personal biases and politics. I am dedicated to spreading awareness about this incident and others like it.
The ISITDBT Board (who greenlit this presentation): isit@isitdbt.net | programchair@isitdbt.net
Dr. Edmond’s email: drnatedmond@mmcounselingcenter.com
Villanova Dean of Students: deanofstudents@villanova.edu
Villanova Provost: provost@villanova.edu | Associate Vice Provost: lauren.kleckner@villanova.edu
Letter One
Dr. Edmond:
Judging by your social media posts, you clearly, wholeheartedly, believe you have done nothing wrong and have nothing to apologize for. You have shown a stunning disregard for Jewish people, both as colleagues and as human beings, unwilling as you are to engage us in any kind of open dialogue. Your conduct is uncivil, offensive to liberalism, and lethal to a congenial academic atmosphere; it is also antithetical to the basic principles of Critical Race Theory and DEI you constantly regurgitate. One of my many fears about this incident is that impressionable students and professionals may imitate you.
I was at the ISITDBT conference in Philadelphia and your material immediately struck me as anti-white and antisemitic; it was eerily reminiscent of racist pseudoscience like phrenology and physiognomy. I fail to see the educational value in these images. Regardless of the point you were trying to make, you are a highly educated person, an antiracist speaker no less, and should have known better than to display a photo of a “White Colonizer Brain” intentionally labelled to slander anyone who identifies as a “Zionist”. As the vast majority of Jews are Zionists, one could easily interpret it as making out most Jews to be genocidal, warmongering fascists; fatphobic ableists; and transphobic, homophobic, misogynistic rapists who have internalized “pollution as a birthright”.
In addition to lacking any actual intellectual merit (see ABCT letter below), the image is plainly racist towards white people in general. If roles were reversed, and a white presenter showed anything even remotely like this, their reputation and career would be forfeit—apology or no apology.
Blood libel is a core component of modern antisemitism. It is a false allegation used to demonize Jewish people, and its invocation is usually proximal to some ongoing event (like the Israel-Hamas war) that encourages hatred toward Jews. Online conspiracy groups regularly use images like the one you showed to “explain” why Jews carry out heinous acts.
You offer no empathy or regard or trauma awareness for the Jewish people or your Jewish colleagues, some of whom had family, friends, or acquaintances—civilians you so wantonly associate with fascists and rapists—brutally murdered, raped, kidnapped, tortured, and beheaded by Hamas terrorists barely a year ago. Just last month, the State Department called Oct. 7 “the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Girls and women were sexually assaulted. The depravity of Hamas’s crimes is almost unspeakable.” Many people—not just Jews—are trapped in the perpetual hell of not knowing if a loved one is dead or just slowly starving. This is how you promote “collective healing”?—By jamming your offensive politics in our faces while we are in “a safe space”?
The Jewish Special Interest Group of the ABCT released a letter (shown below) that describes your behavior perfectly: shockingly tone-deaf.
Others have also begun to follow suit. On November 22nd, “horrified and saddened” ISITDBT conference organizers, including the Anti-Racism Subcommittee who hired you and greenlit this presentation, issued a letter unequivocally condemning antisemitism, stating that you have caused “incredible pain and harm” to the Jewish community. NYU’s Anti-Racism Program (ARP) has also cancelled your DEI workshops, citing the “disturbing” perspectives and associations in your presentation. New Jewish advocacy groups and antisemitism watchdogs have sprung up overnight.
You must not be clue-ed in yet. As of the time of this writing, you still have not apologized or explained what your motive is in sharing this pseudoscientific material. Given the current dire atmosphere towards Jewish-Americans, especially Jewish students, it is paramount that antisemites be openly named and challenged. People have the right to know that you oversee counseling for white/Jewish students at Villanova and that you consider yourself the victim in this situation.
Once you start re-sharing "slow factory" memes your ass is cooked. It's also just the laziest possible way to maintain your ideological position. Can't explain exactly how "zionisim is racism?" Just say it's "all connected" and then collect your speakers fee! 🙄
She is a f***ing moron. She believes she’s targeted for being fat, black and queer. That would be true in any country in the Middle East except where? Hmmm, let me think……