Selective: Professor's Statements on Suicide

Misbar discovered that Duquesne University psychology professor Derek Hook is under scrutiny for arguing in class that white people may find that the ethical option for the dismantling of white culture is suicide. In a class to Baltimore-based American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work in June, Hook used a quote by South African philosophy professor, Terblanche Delport: “White people should commit suicide as an ethical act” while discussing the movement for equality in South Africa. 

Hook was using the words by Delport as the foundation for his discussion. While he did not write the original words for what he was discussing in the lecture, he did say: “We could make the argument that there was something ethical in Delport’s statements.” He also went on to say: “I want to make the argument that there is some kind of ethical dimensions to his provocations.” 

However, according to Duquesne University, Hook’s lecture comments were taken out of context. In a statement from the University: “The statement attributed to Professor Hook is ridiculous and reckless. He did not make a statement advocating anything like what was suggested. In fact, he said that the statement in question was ‘crazy.’” The University statement goes on to say: “The words being circulated were simply lifted out of context to distort the actual comments. Saying that Professor Hook called for anything like the words in question is false.”   

In Pennsylvania, aiding or soliciting suicide is a criminal offense under under 18 U.S.C. 2505.