Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard University resigned today. What does it mean?
Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard University resigned today. Across social media, I witnessed shock, sadness, anger, and frustration by many in higher education and beyond, but especially among African American colleagues who felt gutted by the news about the first African American president of Harvard. Of course, there were others who rejoiced in Gay’s resignation.
Yes, many across higher education thought Gay, along with the presidents of Penn and MIT fumbled their testimony before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce this past December, giving unacceptable answers. When Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) asked the presidents if calls for the genocide of Jews violate their campus rules of conduct, rather than emphatically saying “yes” — and perhaps adding a follow up statement providing more context, the presidents failed to answer in a direct manner. They did what most college and university presidents are trained to do: say very little, avoid committing to a firm perspective, and stress that context matters.
After a near immediate backlash, Gay apologized. Specifically, she said: “I am sorry. Words matter.” She then added, “There are some who have confused a right to free expression with the idea that Harvard will condone calls for violence against Jewish students. Let me be clear: Calls for violence or genocide against the Jewish community, or any religious or ethnic group are vile, they have no place at Harvard, and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held to account.” The addition is what her critics wanted to hear during the hearing.
However, in the world we live in today, apologies aren’t enough and mistakes are rarely forgiven — especially for women and people of color. People across the political spectrum call for the cancellation of those they disagree with just as they complain about the cancellation of those they agree with. According to Pew Research, “People have challenged each other’s views for much of human history.
