A retired Harvard professor received this email today from Harvard’s Dean of Undergraduate Education, Jay M. Harris:
“To Faculty of Arts and Sciences: I am writing to let you know that many of our students plan to leave their classrooms today at 3:15 in a show of solidarity with Black students nationwide. They will gather in the Science Center Plaza at 3:30 and then march to Porter Square to join with students from Tufts. Please make sure to inform your TFs/TAs who may be with them at that time. We know that many of you will want to join with our students in these challenging times.”
My professor-friend added this: “In my forty-plus years at Harvard, which included some “challenging times,” I don’t recall any student protest activity that was in effect endorsed by the administration in a communication sent to the entire faculty.”
It is amazing that students who attend a school where 4-year total costs are about $0.25 million are aggrieved to the extent they are missing class to protest.
First world problems.
There is no crisis or grave injustice that has “black lives” being the target of racism on college campuses. People like Harris have demonstrated that they’ll believe in any movement that gets their heart a flutter.
It’s “interesting,” to say the least, that some Harvard faculty are raising an eyebrow to this, and I am glad to see it. College campuses should be a forum for protected free-speech, but not a top-down endorser/backer/you-faculty-vill-comply-viz-zis-activity in the promulgation of the same. Allowing classes to be cancelled for this protest, as opposed to other protests, sends a message of endorsement and favoritism, and I am not sure it is the message that is meant to be sent.