New York Times reporter Mara Gay said Wednesday on MSNBC's “Morning Joe” that former Harvard University president Claudine Gay's resignation was not a result of several instances of plagiarism that had been uncovered, but rather “academic freedom.” He said he believed the attack was based on right-wing racist attacks against the group.
Gay said, “What really disturbed me was the relentless campaign of smear and discrediting by the right-wing and some conservative activists, culminating in someone on social media saying, 'We claimed the scalp.' I think he used that phrase, which essentially means that if you don't like not only the response to the horrific attack on Israel on October 7th, but also the response on campus, gays and other presidents. But the reality is, anything they don't like, not just the president, but also what they call so-called wokism on campus. This is just an attack on academic freedom. It is pluralist, that people from diverse backgrounds from around the world should come together, that there is more academic rigor, that there is more value brought by having people from different backgrounds. It’s an attack on those who advocate.”
She continued, “This is an attack on diversity. This is an attack on multiculturalism and many of the values that many of us hold dear. In fact, someone my age who is in his 30s , anyone who has attended public universities, major public universities, private universities in this country, these are very important values. I think that's why these presidents are under attack. That's why Claudine Gay was under attack. The fact that she was a black woman and the first black American to lead Harvard University only added to their desire to remove her from the throne. I just let it happen.”
Gay further added, “You don't have to say they're racist, but when people like Vivek Ramaswamy say, 'Okay, this is about diversity and employment,' it's not necessary to say that they're racist, but when people like Vivek Ramaswamy say, 'Okay, this is about diversity and employment,' it's not necessary to say that they're racist. You will hear and see racism in the country,” he added. This is also racism. There are many layers to this, but I don't want to overlook attacks on academic freedom. I think it's much easier to target women and women of color, but at the end of the day, it's not going to stop there. I sincerely hope that no matter who the targets of these campaigns are, we will stand up for academic freedom. ”
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