Bill V. Mullen
Teacher and Writer in Indianapolis, Indiana
Bill Mullen is a controversial American Studies and English literature professor at Purdue University. His special interests include African American history, history of race relations in America, working-class literature in the U.S., and Marxist theory.
He teaches Introduction to American Studies 601, and in the spring semester of 2016 taught American Studies 301 – African American Protest Literature. In addition, Mullen has taught American Studies 602 – Critical Race Theory and Contemporary U.S. Literature and Culture. Mullen also runs American Studies 603 – Interdisciplinary Research Project.
In addition to his academic position, he is an advisor to Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a campus organization with ties to the U.S.-designated terrorist organization, Hamas. Recent articles he has written voice support for radical popular uprisings.
He is known at Purdue University for his criticism of the university administration and often openly attacked the university’s president, Mitch Daniels, a former governor of Indiana.
Allegations of possible sexual misconduct with students have been put forth against Mullen and are currently being investigated.
Bill Mullen is a member of Academic and Community Activism Caucus, operating under the ASA (American Studies Association). This association calls for the support of boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel.
He is additionally a member of the Advisory Committee of USACBI – United States Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel – one of the main umbrella organizations of academics who support BDS. As such, in 2012 he participated in an experience trip to Palestine.
During this tour, he met with a number of individuals and groups associated with efforts to delegitimize Israel. He visited Miraym Al-Ghawi, who claimed that she and her family were evicted from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. It was later discovered that this family in fact sold the house and it was bought by a Jewish family.