02 Jan 2024 Black Conservatives Cheer Resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay

Harvard President Claudine Gay announced her resignation today as Harvard’s first black and second female president, making her the shortest tenured president in Harvard’s history.

During Gay’s recent testimony before Congress, when asked if antisemitic acts and calling for the genocide of Jews violated school rules, Gay replied that such acts were “context-dependent.” Following that testimony, accusations of antisemitism and racism have been made against Gay, along with dozens of allegations of plagiarism.

Several ambassadors with the Project 21 black leadership network have responded to Gay’s resignation.

Horace Cooper

Project 21 Chairman Horace Cooper:

Since her congressional testimony I’ve called upon President Gay to resign. Her continued presence as Harvard’s president created the false impression that only mediocre blacks could ever hold prestigious positions.

The Ivy League schools are so fixated on woke advocates to lead their institutions that they’ve ignored remarkably talented individuals like Condoleezza Rice (a scholar and talented school administrator in her own right) who were well suited for leadership.

High standards aren’t anti-black. Low standards are.

Stacy Washington

Project 21 Ambassador Stacy Washington:

Plagiarism and antisemitism are two terms I never expected to see associated with an institution as respected and renowned as Harvard University.

Now that President Claudine Gay has resigned amid accusations of word piracy and her refusal to protect Jewish students, will respect for differing viewpoints return? Will the crushing of free speech of certain viewpoints cease? This result only has teeth if the donors who prompted it hold the line and require Harvard to roll back its implementation of DEI standards.

Now is the time to return to the tried, trusted and true traditions of higher education in America: rigorous debate, strict adherence to standards and the promotion of free thought and ideas.

Donna Jackson

Project 21 Director of Membership Development Donna Jackson:

It’s shameful that it took the outcry of the student body to challenge the Harvard Corporation’s judgment to force President Gay to resign. It’s obvious that no precautions were taken to ensure President Gay was actually qualified for the position. In this case, her only qualification was that she aligned with the extreme ideology of the progressive left.

Claudine Gay, and so many like her on the left, are setting back sixty years black Americans who have worked hard to earn their achievements. Our life achievements have now been reduced to carveouts and checking the right boxes. The real tragedy is that it will take decades to reverse these stereotypes, and that many truly qualified minority scholars – including ones she plagiarized – were never considered.

Melanie Collette

Project 21 Ambassador Melanie Collette:

It’s about time Harvard rolled up its sleeves and got down to some serious house cleaning! Academic integrity is the bedrock of higher education institutions, and it’s absurd that it took Harvard this long to give Ms. Gay the boot from her president’s seat. She shouldn’t have a place among the faculty either.

If Harvard genuinely wants to put its money where its mouth is and showcase its unwavering commitment to academic integrity and diversity, it’s time it stop playing tired identity-politics games and hire a new president who can truly measure up academically. How about Dr. Carol Swain, since it seemed to be so fond of her work when Ms. Gay allegedly turned it in as her own?!

Michael Austin

Project 21 Ambassador Michael Austin:

Claudine Gay was a DEI hire who added nothing to Harvard except an identity accolade.

In reality, she plunged the university into antisemitism, academic malfeasance and leftist double standards.

It’s far past time she go and allow the university to regain its image.

Honorable Dr. Brenda J. Thiam

Project 21 Ambassador Dr. Brenda J. Thiam, who holds a doctorate in special education leadership:

During the congressional hearing, Dr. Gay refused to condemn the idea that calling for the genocide of Jews violated Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment.

Not doing so is the reason why she should have tendered her resignation sooner rather than later. There’s no “depending on the context” that justifies such a statement.

University presidents and leaders must do better than this.