Support Dr. Cornel West

Harvard University has denied a tenure process to Dr. Cornel West, one of the most decorated intellectuals in the country!

Why? He says it's because of his principled Christian stance that Palestinians deserve equal rights. His reasoning is not hard to believe. Advocates for Palesitnian rights have long been silenced by those in power. People of Color tend to be even bigger targets for such punishment.

In solidarity with Dr. West’s students, let us support Dr. West by telling Harvard that we will not be silent to their disrespectful, and discriminatory action toward Dr. West.

Harvard University has denied a tenure process to Dr. Cornel West, one of the most decorated intellectuals in the country!

Why? He says it's because of his principled Christian stance that Palestinians deserve equal rights. His reasoning is not hard to believe. Advocates for Palesitnian rights have long been silenced by those in power. People of Color tend to be even bigger targets for such punishment.

In solidarity with Dr. West’s students, let us support Dr. West by telling Harvard that we will not be silent to their disrespectful, and discriminatory action toward Dr. West.

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Tell Harvard to grant Dr. Cornel West his much deserved tenure

Send a message to the Harvard administration that they must grant Dr. Cornel West his much deserved tenure.

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Dear Dr. Lawrence Bacow, Harvard University President,

At the beginning of the Pandemic, you stated that the world would need the courage, creativity, and intelligence of the student body to not only beat the virus but to yield new possibilities for change. I can think of no other faculty member who elicits more courage, creativity, and intelligence, not only in their students, but in society writ-large than Dr. Cornel West.

As you know, Dr. Cornel West is among the most distinguished intellectuals alive today, attracting many young scholars around the globe to learn from him, a feat that undoubtedly enriches Harvard’s reputation. His service to his community and to all oppressed people speaks to his personal ethics as well as the veracity of his scholarship. In his role as Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy, his commitment to racial justice and moral consistency in theory and practice deeply enhance Havard’s motto of Veritas.

The decision to deny Dr. West's tenure process is not only misaligned with Harvard’s stated values, but it also repeats a terrible chapter in Harvard's recent history with West which ended in a no-confidence vote by the faculty of then-president Summer. Furthermore, this decision undermines the institution's current claims to be committed to anti-racism.

Dr. West attributes the decision to deny him tenure, not to any academic limitations or failures, but to the university's aversion to his principled stance that Palestinians deserve equality. Dr. West should not be punished for his unwillingness to compromise on speaking up for the human rights of Palestinians, Israelis, Muslims, Christians, and Jews, who all deserve to live together peacefully without a violent occupation. There is a pattern of faculty members who support Palestinian rights being denied tenure by Harvard (e.g., Dr. García Peña). Why does Harvard find this ethical stance unacceptable?

In solidarity with Dr. West’s students in the Harvard Divinity School and the Harvard Law School’s Black Student Association, I urge you to reconsider your decision. Please grant Dr. West the tenure he so clearly deserves.

Regardless of the outcome of Dr. West’s decision to remain at Harvard or not, we call on Harvard to cease its silencing of advocates for Palestinian equality and end its current tenure process which has only served to widen the racial divide in higher education.

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