Texas A&M president calls professor's remarks on killing white people 'disturbing'

Years-old comments on killing white people from a Texas A&M University philosophy professor drew a response from the flagship's president on Wednesday night.

Professor Tommy Curry appeared on a 2012 podcast episode shortly after the 2012 movie "Django Unchained" was released. He said the film's depiction of violence against white people was seen as "entertainment" and not reality.

"When we have this conversation about violence or killing white people it has to be looked at in the kind of this historical turn," Curry said. "And the fact that we've had no one address, like how relevant and how solidified this kind of tradition is for black people — saying look, in order to be equal, in order to be liberated, some white people may have to die."

Host Rob Redding mentions Curry's professorship at Texas A&M before his remarks.

Texas A&M University President Michael Young called Curry's comments on race and violence "disturbing" and "in stark contrast to Aggie core values — most notably those of respect, excellence, leadership and integrity — values that we hold true toward all of humanity."

He added that the remarks are protected by the U.S. Constitution under the First Amendment. "We stand for equality. We stand against the advocacy of violence, hate, and killing. We firmly commit to the success, not the destruction, of each other."

Curry did not respond to a request for comment. He told Inside Higher Ed via email that he'd received death threats and photos of "apes, monkeys, etc" after The American Conservative resurfaced his interview.