Columbia Professor Mocks Columbus Day With List of '15 Most Overrated White People

In honor of Columbus Day,  Marc Lamont Hill, associate professor of English education at Columbia University, HuffPost Live host and political commentator, penned an op-ed on Monday in which he lists the "15 most overrated white people" -- a very interesting way to observe the national holiday.

"Today, our nation engages in one of its most bizarre cultural rituals: the celebration of Columbus Day as a national holiday. Although history proves that Christopher Columbus was an immoral treasure hunter who merely stumbled upon a region that had already been 'discovered' by indigenous non-whites, we continue to praise the vicious conquistador as a hero," Hill writes in his blog post published on the Huffington Post.

"To honor the true spirit of Columbus Day, I have created my own list of overrated white people. Of course, this list is not exhaustive, as there are countless other White people who are equally underwhelming," he continues.

The list includes Ronald Reagan, Elvis Presley, Justin Bieber, Tim Tebow, President Obama's economic team, William Shakespeare, Eminem and even former President Bill Clinton.

It's not just that Hill feels he must single out "white people" in his blog post but he also insists on comparing a number of them to African-Americans, suggesting an "us against them" mentality on the issue of race.

Here's just a taste of his list:

"Tebow's celebrity -- despite the fact that he couldn't beat out mediocre Mark Sanchez for a starting spot -- proves an old football axiom: Black men throw interceptions; White men are 'gunslingers,'" Hill writes.

On Justin Bieber: "Sure, the kid can sing and dance. But is he better than dozens of black R&B singers? Nope."

"Elvis didn't write his own songs (despite taking credit for them), barely played the guitar, and was a worse actor than the entire cast of Belly. Despite being a cheap facsimile of Little Richard, he is still known as the 'King of Rock 'n Roll.' Only in America..."

As previously mentioned, he also jabbed at some of his Democratic allies like Clinton and President Obama's economic team.

"Black folk regularly regard Clinton as a messianic figure. He may have been better than Bush, but Slick Willie was far from a savior," Hill writes.

"Obama's closest economic advisors have continued to push forward a business-as-usual strategy that continues to reward big business, stimulate the wealthy, undermine fair trade, and deny the possibility of living wages for poor people around the globe."

To read Hill's entire list of overrated white people, click here.

Front page image via Facebook. Carousel image courtesy of Shutterstock.com.

(H/T: Campus Reform)