A professor from Howard University known for her far-left views has stirred controversy by urging White supporters of progressive movements to emulate a notorious historical figure from the pre-Civil War era known for his violent acts, which ultimately led to his execution.
Stacey Patton, who teaches journalism at the prestigious Washington, D.C. institution, recently penned a blog post titled, “John Brown Didn’t Ask Enslaved People How to Be A Good White Ally.” In it, she criticizes White liberals who seek advice on becoming better allies to minority communities, suggesting instead that they follow the example set by John Brown.
John Brown was a radical abolitionist active during the tumultuous “Bleeding Kansas” period. In 1856, he orchestrated the infamous Pottawatomie massacre, where he and his followers forcibly removed five settlers, at least three of whom were pro-slavery, from their homes and executed them.
Stacey Patton, previously an associate professor at Morgan State University, has a history of addressing provocative topics, such as in her lecture titled “How Killing Black Children is an American Tradition,” delivered at the University of Tennessee on February 28, 2017. (Photo by Alex Phillips/The Daily Beacon)
In October 1859, Brown led a daring raid on a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, then part of Virginia, hoping to ignite a slave rebellion. However, his call to arms attracted few enslaved people. The raid turned violent when a local militia engaged Brown and his group, resulting in the deaths of four civilians, including a freed slave named Heyward Shepherd.
Following the loss of ten of his men during the standoff, Brown was captured, subsequently tried for treason, and ultimately executed by hanging.
“So when white allies ask, ‘What can I do?’ here’s the answer: Be like John Brown. Ask yourself, what am I willing to burn so somebody else can breathe?” Patton wrote.
“Brown didn’t need a syllabus, a think piece, or a guidebook on allyship. He didn’t need affirmation from Black folks that he was one of the good ones,” Patton wrote. “He saw the horror for what it was and decided that ending this racist f—–y mattered more than being understood.”
An entrance sign near the main gate at Howard University October 25, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
She explains in the piece that trying to guide White people in their allyship is “exhausting as hell.”
“Even the well-intentioned versions drag you back into the same cycle of having to translate pain into curriculum. It’s the paradox of white ‘goodness.’ They want to be seen trying, but the trying itself becomes another demand on the people that are already harmed,” she wrote.
“We are not the architects. We are the collateral damage. You don’t ask the people choking on the smoke to explain how to put out the blaze,” she continued. “You go get the damn hose. You stop pretending you don’t see the flames. That’s the real answer: you already know what to do. Be honest: you just don’t want to lose the warmth that fire gives you.”
Later in the piece, she conceded that White allies don’t have to die like Brown.
“If you don’t want to die like John Brown, fine,” Patton wrote. “But understand that somebody always does.”
Historically Black college Howard University in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 1, 2022. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Brown’s name has recently been invoked during the national discourse on left-wing extremism.
Benjamin Song, a long-time Antifa agitator, was recently charged with three counts of attempted murder of federal agents in addition to three counts of discharging a firearm stemming from an ambush-style shooting at an ICE facility in Alvarado, Texas. A dozen others were charged in the plot.
Song was identified as a member of the John Brown Gun Club — named for Brown — after he was sued in 2023 by a right-wing group called the New Columbia Movement.
Benjamin Song is wanted for his alleged involvement in the targeted attack against ICE agents in Alvarado, Texas on July 4, 2025. (FBI)
The gun club is listed as a “far-left” group by the Counter Extremism Project.
Howard University condemned violence in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Howard University condemns all forms of violence, particularly actions that may result in the loss of life,” the Office of University Communications said. “The University remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding and protecting the First Amendment rights of free expression. However, the views and opinions expressed by individual faculty, staff, or students are solely their own and should not be construed as reflecting the official stance of Howard University.”
Patton declined to comment.
