ULU call for LSE Academic to be dismissed

ULU Senate unanimously voted for the immediate dismissal of Satoshi Kanazawa over an article he wrote for Psychology Today.

Kanazawa’s article, entitled Why Are Black Women Less Physically Attractive Than Other Women?, reports the perspectives and opinions of adult respondents, claiming these as “objective facts”. No sample size is included.

At a ULU Senate meeting today, Students’ Union officers agreed to, “openly condemn Satoshi Kanazawa’s poor research” and, “to call for the immediate dismissal of Satoshi Kanazawa.

Sherelle Davids, anti-racism officer-elect of the LSE Students’ Union, said: “As a Black woman I feel his conclusions are a direct attack on Black women everywhere who are not included in social ideas of beauty.”

A spokesperson for LSE said: “The views expressed by this academic are his own and do not in any way represent those of LSE as an institution. The important principle of academic freedom means that authors have the right to publish their views – but it also gives others the freedom to disagree.”

This is not the first instance of criticism for Kanazawa’s writing.

Lukas Slothuus, Community and Welfare Officer-elect, said: “The academic community has widely condemned Kanazawa’s flawed research and there should be no place for his unscientific bigotry at the LSE. Students stand united against his disgraceful conclusions and will not let this negatively impact good campus relations.”