'Abolitionist' professor says 9/11 was attack on 'heteropatriarchal capitalistic systems' that benefit white people

Dr. Jenn Jackson, a professor of political science at Syracuse University, triggered an avalanche of backlash after claiming Friday the 9/11 terrorist attacks were an attack on "heteropatriarchal capitalistic systems" that "white Americans fight to protect."

Jackson's website biography reads, "Jenn M. Jackson (they/them) is a queer genderflux androgynous Black woman, an abolitionist, a lover of all Black people, and an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University in the Department of Political Science."

What did Jackson say?

Jackson published a series of tweets Friday that vocalized her problems with how "white pundits and correspondents" talk about 9/11, and the impact those tragic events had on America.

"It's twenty years since 9/11 and I'm still really disturbed by how many white pundits and correspondents talk about it," Jackson began. "I'm watching [White House chief of staff on 9/11] Andy Card and [Former Homeland Security Secretary] Jeh Johnson on MSNBC. Card just said that 9/11 was the first time that Americans ever felt fear. He said that it was the last morning we woke up without fear and that the 'terrorists' succeeded in introducing us to fear."

"White Americans might not have really felt true fear before 9/11 because they never felt what it meant to be accessible, vulnerable, and on the receiving side of military violence at home. But, white Americans' experiences are not a stand-in for 'America,'" Jackson continued. "Plenty of us Americans know what it's like to experience fear and we knew before 9/11. For a lot of us, we know fear *because* of other Americans."

"We have to be more honest about what 9/11 was and what it wasn't. It was an attack on the heteropatriarchal capitalistic systems that America relies upon to wrangle other countries into passivity. It was an attack on the systems many white Americans fight to protect," Jackson added.

"We have to be clear that the same motivations that animated America's hypervigilance and responsiveness to 'terror' after 9/11 are now motivating the carceral state and anti-immigration policy," Jackson said.

What was the response?

Jackson's remarks generated a mountain of criticism and mockery, which pointed out that Islamic fundamentalists are certainly not motivated by femenist or pro-LGBT ideology.

• "This is the kind of disturbing rubbish people spout when they see the world through a lens of identity politics. We need to reverse the long march through the institutions," one person said.
• "Yes, the fundamentalist Islamic men were attacking 'heteropatriarch capitalist systems' because fundamentalist Islam is a very pro feminist pro LGBT ideology you absolute doorknob," another person said.
• "What a race-hustling hatemonger Jenn Jackson is," another person said.
• "SU has a professor on staff, Jenn Jackson, that's clearly a racist and has zero empathy for what took place on 9/11. Look at what she tweeted yesterday of all days. Every SU alumni should be disgusted with who SU is willing to employ and keep employed," another person said.
• "The language of wokeism… it uses colorful, smart & complicated sounding phrases tossed into a word salad and mixed with emotional expressions so you can't deconstruct the nonsense. Jenn Jackson is a poster child of a crazy person acting as a paid pseudo intellectual," one person said.
• "If it's one thing Islamic terrorists hate it's the 'heteropatriarchy," one person mocked.
• "Yes, Al Qaeda is well known for it's feminist and pro-LGBTQ+ activism," another person mocked.
• "Let me make sure I am getting this correct... The 9/11 attack by arguably the most heteropatriarchal people on earth was orchestrated because of America heteropatriarchal systems? I'm sure the female & LGBTQ execs who died in the Twin Towers would love this hot take," another person said.
• "oh yes, the people behind 9/11 are known for their liberal views and dismantling of heteropatriarchal systems. just ask all the girls who want to go to school or drive over there," one person said.

After Jackson's tweets began generating attention online, she "locked" her Twitter account, which means that people who were not following her before cannot see her tweets now.

However, Jackson's tweets were archived, which you can see here.