Lisa Durden

Lisa Durden is an African American media commentator and producer. Durden was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey and graduated from Seton Hall University with a degree in journalism.[2] She has provided commentary on The Kelly File and other television programs on subjects including racism,[3] Black Lives Matter,[4][5][6] and celebrity culture.[7]

Lisa Durden
Born1963/1964 (age 56–57)[1]
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materSeton Hall University
OccupationMedia commentator • producer

Durden hosts a talk show, The Lisa Durden Show, that airs on Newark and Manhattan cable channels.[2][8] She was the associate producer for the documentary Brick City,[9] and producer of the documentary Soul Food Junkies, which won the 2012 Grand Jury Prize of Best Documentary at the American Black Film Festival.[10]

On June 6, 2017, Durden appeared on Fox News in an interview with Tucker Carlson, discussing a Black Lives Matter chapter that held a Memorial Day event exclusively for black people. Durden defended the chapter's actions, saying "Boo-hoo-hoo... You white people are angry because you couldn’t use your ‘white privilege’ card to get invited to the Black Lives Matter’s all-black Memorial Day celebration." Carlson responded by calling Durden "hostile and separatist and crazy" and "demented".[11] Two days later, Durden was suspended from her position of adjunct professor at Essex County College in Newark. Two weeks later, she was fired.[11][12][13] Durden described the experience as being "publicly lynched".[11][13] College president Anthony Munroe said the firing was in response to concerns and fears expressed by students, faculty, and prospective students following Durden's remarks on television.[14]

A legal analysis by the campus free speech organization Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) said that the firing violated established First Amendment law for public employees, and rejected Munroe's claim that Durden's remarks made it impossible for her to do her job. FIRE stated that "if simply offending others and causing an 'outpouring' of criticism and consternation were sufficient to overcome a faculty member's First Amendment rights, freedom of expression on campus would be reduced to a nullity."[15]

On July 25, 2017, Durden announced she would be running for New Jersey Lieutenant Governor on the Green Party ticket alongside Seth Kaper-Dale.[1][16][17] They lost, having received only 0.47% of the votes.

References
  1. Yi, Karen (July 25, 2017). "You'll never guess what the professor fired for comments on Fox News is doing now". NJ.com. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  2. Barnes, Mo (September 22, 2015). "Lisa Durden is brilliantly outspoken and ready to take on Elisabeth Hasselback, Bill O'Reilly". Rolling Out. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  3. Raftery, Liz (November 10, 2015). "Watch Fox News Guests Get Into a Shouting Match Over Racism at University of Missouri". TV Guide. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  4. Street, John. "Fox Panel Descends Into Chaos When Former NYPD Detective Suggests Black Lives Matter Movement Is Why Some Cops Aren't Doing Their Jobs". TheBlaze. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  5. "Lisa Durden Vs Kevin Jackson On Police Shootings "Lisa's Explaining Nonsense…Blacks Are Being Taught To Be Ignorant Racists!" [Video]". Bossip. July 18, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  6. "Former Civil Rights Leader: Where Was BLM When 9yo Was Shot in CA?". Fox News. July 11, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  7. Johnson, Blanche (June 12, 2015). "Kim Kardashian's backside being used to promote world news stories". Fox News. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  8. Tingle, Sophia (December 19, 2014). "NCC Tackles Topic Of Homelessness On Lisa Durden Show". New Community Corporation. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  9. Lee, Eunice (November 30, 2011). "Newark used as backdrop for short film on dementia". NJ.com. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  10. "2012 Film and Talent Competition Winners". American Black Film Festival. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  11. Schmidt, Samantha (June 26, 2017). "Professor fired after defending blacks-only event to Fox News. 'I was publicly lynched,' she says". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  12. "Suspended College Professor Fired After Fox News Appearance". Time Magazine. Associated Press. June 24, 2017. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  13. Petit, Stephanie (June 25, 2017). "College Professor Fired Following Appearance on Fox News Where She Defended a Black Lives Matter Party". People Magazine. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  14. Mazzola, Jessica (June 24, 2017). "College defends firing professor after Fox News appearance". NJ.com. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  15. Cohn, Ari (July 11, 2017). "Essex County College wrongly fires professor over controversial TV spot". Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. Retrieved August 14, 2017. The law is well-established that employees of government institutions like ECC retain a First Amendment right to speak as private citizens on matters of public concern and may not be disciplined or retaliated against for their constitutionally protected expression unless the government employer demonstrates that the expression hindered "the effective and efficient fulfillment of its responsibilities to the public."
  16. Madej, Patricia (July 26, 2017). "Professor, fired for Fox News segment, enters N.J. gubernatorial race". Philly Voice. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  17. "Democrat Hoping to Succeed Gov. Christie Picks Running Mate". U.S. News and World Report. Associated Press. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
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