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Duke University Press
George Washington University said Jessica Krug would not teach this semester
An American academic who said she lied about being black will not teach this semester, George Washington University confirmed.
Jessica Krug, an associate professor whose work focuses on Africa and the African diaspora, admitted in a blog post that she was, in fact, a white Jewish woman from Kansas City.
The post read: “I have built my life on a violent anti-black lie.”
His colleagues said they were “shocked and dismayed” by his admission.
In a Medium post published Thursday, Ms. Krug said she had falsely assumed identities “that I had no right to claim: first Blackness from North Africa, then Blackness from American roots, then Blackness from Bronx with Caribbean roots.”
In a statement, George Washington University said Ms. Krug would not teach classes and acknowledged that “many students, faculty, staff and alumni are suffering.” She said she was “reviewing” the case.
His employment status at the university is unknown. Ms. Krug has not commented.
- White professor from America says she lied about being black
- Rachel Dolezal: ‘I identify as black’
What has been the reaction?
Ms. Krug’s colleagues in the GWU History Department issued a joint statement calling for her to resign from her position or for the university to withdraw her position.
“He has betrayed the trust of countless current and former students, fellow African students, colleagues in our department and throughout the historical discipline, as well as community activists in New York City and beyond,” the statement said.
“The discipline of history is concerned with telling the truth about the past. In her conduct, Dr. Krug has raised questions about the veracity of her own research and teaching.”
A GWU student who was due to start Ms. Krug’s class on Latin American history on Monday told the Washington Post: “It breaks my heart that these students came, very bright-eyed and eager, to learn about Latino heritage and the story … We all trust her a lot. “
Ms. Krug’s academic work includes the 2018 book “Fugitive Modernities: Kisama and the Politics of Freedom,” which focuses on the politics and culture of African and African diaspora societies.
Her case has strong parallels with the racial activist Rachel Dolezal, a white woman who claimed to be black. After her parents gave her away in 2015, she said she “identified as black.”
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What else did he say in the post?
Ms. Krug described her behavior as “the epitome of violence, of theft and appropriation, of the myriad ways that non-black people continue to use and abuse black identities and cultures.” She added that she had continued to pretend even in her personal relationships.
She blamed her lies on mental health issues and the trauma she experienced in her early years, although she said this was not an excuse for her actions.
According to media reports, Ms. Krug also used the name Jessica La Bombalera as an activist. In a video posted earlier this year, she berated white New Yorkers for not “giving their time to indigenous black and brown New Yorkers.”
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