My friend, Amy Wax, the pariah

Spectator TV viewers may recall that in last week’s Americano podcast, Freddy Gray interviewed the University of Pennsylvania law professor Amy Wax, whose wrist had just been smartly rapped by the administration for her unfashionable generalisations about race and sex. While Professor Wax spoke ably on her own behalf, Amy, as I know her, has been a friend of mine for several years. These scolding financial and reputational sanctions have been in the works for almost as long, so now seems an apt juncture at which to lay down my own marker. Unlike so many of her half-hearted defenders, I’ll put myself firmly in her corner without holding my nose.

By contrast, John McWhorter, a courageously moderate black independent thinker before he was lured into the role of demi-woke pleaser at the New York Times, is (or at least was) also a friend of Amy’s, though last week he had a funny way of demonstrating his loyalty.