Testimony of Racist Abuse at BU Law.
An Asian-American former BU Law student has put forward her testimony of classroom racism by Boston University School of Law’s now Associate Dean for Equity Justice & Engagement, Anna di Robilant.
The following is an email which was sent out to a list of recipients; ranging from Professors to high-profile Academics who have worked with and supported the Associate Dean’s projects, scholarships and research over the past two decades both in Italy and the U.S.
“Dear Professors,
I’m writing from Boston University. During my research into the History of Italian Fascism and Colonialism I came across the name “di Robilant” more than a few times. It transpires that Associate Dean for Equity Justice & Engagement at BU Law, Anna di Robilant, is from this family which explicitly and according to all research I’ve found unapologetically; militant Fascist (Enrico di Robilant), voluntary Nazi Waffen SS (Carlo Manfredo di Robilant), Colonialist (Carlo Felice di Robilant), leading Fascist Eugenicist (Daisy di Robilant) and Fascist transatlantic propagandist (Irene di Robilant). This incredibly dense system indicates a strong concentration within the Italian-German bourgeois nobility of inherited powers and privileges under both Benito Mussolini’s Fascist Italy and Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany.
I wonder how this critical history has gone undetected between Italy, Harvard and BU while working with Associate Dean di Robilant over the years in some cases for almost 20 years or if there is a reason for this history to be deemed totally irrelevant. Which would deem all history in particular from the past 100 years irrelevant for the sake of protecting the reputation of Fascists and Nazis. Though I do not believe this to be the correct or an endorsable approach.
The positioning of Prof. di Robilant as Associate Dean for “Equity Justice & Engagement” bases itself on vast economic and social advantages extracted directly from private property and aristocratic privilege. As experts have repeatedly pointed out; an old hereditary system built on Eugenicist ideals, inequality, exploitation, deep social repression and oppression resulting in the Holocaust which the di Robilants voluntarily participated in in order to protect their wealth, power, extreme militant Fascist “ideals” and ideology.
It is logical to question how all this squares with “Equity Justice & Engagement” while Prof. di Robilant continues to extract and profit from this wealth and privilege, the scale of which is extrapolated from the di Robilant’s proximity to the Fascist Dictatorship and the status given to the SS, beyond being the exact type of paradox which has been proven to harm the movement towards a more Just society if this is to begin in any way within education. Hence why I am contacting you since this paradox harms not only Legal students but also the Legal profession and therefore Society as a whole.
As far as communication with BU Law, there is no evidence that Associate Dean di Robilant has acknowledged or denounced her family’s actions nor distanced herself from the family. As BU School of Social Work pointed out; “It seems like there has been a huge lack of transparency. Even if she is not promoting fascism herself, she is still benefitting from the harm that her family has caused and the larger culture of white supremacy which you mentioned before.”
Within your respective roles within your respective faculties and institutions could you share your opinions and shed light on this phenomenon and your opinion on the following testimony of an Asian-American former BU Law student outlining classroom racism by Prof. di Robilant?
“I learned that Anna di Robilant is associate dean for equity, justice and engagement for @BU_law. A white woman who professionally benefits from (exploits) anti-racism work has to do more than be on the “right” side of theory and scholarship.”
and;
“I don’t know if this is true, but the spirit of it is — why/how is she spearheading issues of race, justice, equality? Has she done the Herculean, Sisyphean internal work of undoing her racist heritage such that she could be a leader in the space? Even so, should she be?”
It is unprecedented that a former BU Law student should speak out so clearly and in detail about the scale and type of racist abuse experienced in class with Prof. di Robilant, and that a total of six non-white students from one class stopped participating out of feeling “uncomfortable” and “ashamed”. How many other students have been treated like this? And what options do they have when the “anti-racist” structure at BU Law is managed and controlled by Prof. di Robilant herself? The very fact that the former student has not spoken out until now and has done so anonymously demonstrates again just how thoroughly accepted, supported and entrenched systemic racism (“..that insidious kind of racism that some white people think they are doing a good job of controlling and hiding..”) is within private education and BU Law and it cannot be ruled out that Prof. di Robilant has abused her position and privileges in the BU Law Faculty and beyond.
Since there cannot be no explanation for Prof. di Robilant to lead in and dominate so many areas of Law and Social Policy within and outside BU Law; there are unanswered questions about how someone from an explicit and infamous militant Fascist, Nazi, Colonialist, Eugenicist family can continue to maintain such a stronghold of support from and power and influence over staff and students in top institutions within areas such as but not limited to Racial Justice, Medicine and even “Immoral contracts in Europe” and “Abuse of Rights”; disconcerting in itself within the context in an almost infinite number of ways and a stark reflection of the di Robilant’s historical staunchly ideologically Fascist activities.
My research looks at Transatlantic / Transnational Fascism and Fascism’s continued role in society, social policy and the education system. I look forward to hearing from you if you can help with collecting Testimonies in any way and can forward you the body of research referred to above or answer any questions. Though I do prefer not to receive an apologist response, as I already have from BU Law along the lines of the already debunked argument of “good scholarship” if it is to defend the voluntary, wilful and happy participants and direct beneficiaries of the worst atrocities the world has ever seen.
Sincerely,
Xavier Primavera”
