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Standing Strong for Home Rule

President's Blog: Standing Strong for Home Rule

All leaders of all institutions in D.C. must stand up for the right of our citizens to self-determination. The betrayal of Home Rule is an invitation to tyranny.

(A beautiful city as far as the eye can see… a view of D.C. from Trinity in Northeast to the Washington highlands in Southeast)

The District of Columbia is one of the world’s great cities, an awesome learning laboratory, a beautiful place for work and play alike.  For 55 years, through good times and bad, I have sometimes lived in, consistently worked in, occasionally volunteered for, often played in and always enjoyed this tremendous city.

Today, I am dismayed and angry by the outrageous disrespect and outright slander that the president of the United States has directed toward D.C., its leaders and its residents.  No one here deserves his shameful contempt, his tyrannical tactics, his utter abuse of democracy and self-determination.  His words about crime in the city are belied by the actual facts; but even worse, his “fix” for crime is actually a deliberate act to undo Home Rule and undermine the right of the citizens of D.C. to determine their own affairs.  His rhetoric about “squalor” and “bedlam” is offensive hyperbole not supported by reality.

I have devoted most of my professional life to helping D.C. and its residents have educational, economic, social and political opportunities too long denied to too many of them; now I see those opportunities diminishing rapidly in the rising cadence of militaristic boots stomping down our ceremonial boulevards while tanks roll along as if to remind our local citizens who really controls their fate.  Home rule is crushed under the treads of heavy military equipment in a performative display of a tyrant’s power dream.

I was in my second year of law school at Georgetown when Home Rule became a reality for D.C., and I had the opportunity for an internship with the legendary civil rights icon Julius Hobson, one of the original members of the newly elected D.C. Council.  The vision and energy of that group in those days was astonishing — great local leaders like David Clarke, John Wilson, Polly Shackleton, Arrington Dixon, Marion Barry and others, all working together — and at times clashing — over how to stand up true self-governance for D.C.   Watching them build a democracy in action was thrilling, and a great learning experience that confirmed my devotion to our city.

Half a century later, the promise of Home Rule from those heady days seems naïve, a dream gone dark in the political headwinds of a federal administration that embraces authoritarian tactics to exercise and sustain its power.  Sure, D.C. has its problems with crime — name one city or town in this country that is crime free.   On the same day that President Trump was lambasting D.C. in shamefully false terms, someone shot and killed three people at a Target in Austin, Texas — but we didn’t see the president sending the National Guard to Austin.  His tyrannical tactics are highly selective, and quite often, seem to be vindictive actions against Black leaders, particularly Black women (Muriel Bowser in D.C., Karen Bass in Los Angeles, e.g.)

The existence of crime, like the reality of sin, is part of the human condition; it will not go away through pledges to do better or hobnail boot tactics to oppress everyone to catch the few bad guys.  Crime certainly will not go away as a result of threats and abuse of homeless persons who need help, not scorn.  The Trumpian rhetoric about crime in D.C. is not only not supported by the facts, it’s also not supported by the experience and practice of good and effective crime control and delinquency prevention.  Over time, the aggressive use of military personnel and threats against the local population will not reduce crime, but will only taunt and encourage more unrest and flaunting of social rules — even as the president, himself, carelessly flaunts the rules about how to govern in a democracy.

Mayor Muriel Bowser has wisely chosen a temperate response to the intemperate actions of the federal administration.  She has shown steady and firm leadership in this moment.  But those of us who are stewards of the great institutions of our city need to show our support for her and for D.C. by speaking out on behalf of our neighbors and the citizens of the place sometimes called “the capital of the free world.”  We can hardly proclaim that title if D.C., itself, remains “the last colony” under authoritarian rule.

How should we institutional leaders respond?

First and foremost, by proclaiming and demonstrating the reasons why we and our institutions are here — because D.C. is a fabulous city for our work and our constituents.  For higher education, there is no better place in this country, maybe even in the world, to have our students learn through engaging with so many different resources — government, laboratories, museums and libraries, places of arts and culture, opportunities to explore urban issues and environmental concerns.  All here in D.C.!

Related, we need to speak up and speak out about how many people we serve and how well we do — our productivity is part of the assets of D.C. which are completely ignored when the current administration speaks of our city.  Higher education, itself, engages tens of thousands of students and alumni, contributes billions of dollars in economic value, and supports all of the local industries through the talent of our graduates.  D.C. is rightfully proud to be one of the best “college towns” in America.

Finally, we must stand up and raise our voices loudly and proudly for the values of democracy and freedom.  The assault on D.C. Home Rule is, ultimately, not about D.C.  but about America.  The experiment in supplanting Home Rule with tyranny here is likely to spread if We, the People allow it to do so.  Whatever our party or political affiliation, we must be ready and willing to proclaim our shared values as Americans.  Protecting the right of all citizens to self-governance is the bedrock of our nation, and must be central to restoring true “law and order” in the nation’s capital.

Honoring Colleagues As they Retire

President's Blog: Honoring Colleagues As they Retire

We owe a huge debt of gratitude and appreciation to these seven colleagues who are moving into retirement. Thank you for so many invaluable contributions to the life of Trinity and our students!!

This week we enjoyed a festive luncheon to honor seven colleagues who are retiring this year.  In the photo above, they include Mr. Andres Marin (Facilities), Dr. Gladys Williams (Educational Administration), Sr. Ann Howard (Campus Ministry), Sr. Camilla Burns (Religious Studies), Sr. Mary Hayes (History and Archives), Dr. Dennis Farley (Economics) and Dr. Lynda Jackson (Business Administration).  See all of the slides with their photos here:  Retirement Slideshow

We deeply appreciate the many years of service of our colleagues, and we miss them already!  Below are the citations for each:

Sr. Mary Hayes, SNDdeN, Professor of History and Trinity Archivist

A young woman from Montclair, New Jersey, arrived on Trinity’s campus in Fall 1953 to begin her Trinity career with the Class of 1957.  Little did she or Trinity realize then that her career would span the next 72 years as a student, a Sister of Notre Dame, a member of the History Faculty, and as Trinity’s Archivist.  So much can be said about Sr. Mary Hayes that we have had a real challenge editing this citation to be sure we can finish before sunset!  But we will tell our Mary Hayes’ stories over and over again, with few repetitions and all shaping our collective portrait of this marvelous teacher, colleague, SND and friend.

After her graduation in 1957, Mary chose to join the SNDs and she spent her early years in religious formation.  She returned to Trinity in 1967 as the youngest member of the History faculty, joining a formidable group of scholars that included the legendary Sr. Mary Lawlor, Dr. Jean Willke and Dr. Joan Kinnaird.  Generations of Trinity alumnae recall with fondness – and some occasional trepidation — the powerful influence of these women.

Over the years, Mary was also a wonderful colleague for all faculty, serving on numerous committees, always attentive to governance and the integrity of the liberal arts tradition at Trinity.  She was also deeply engaged with the affairs of the Sisters of Notre Dame and especially the Base Communities.

Always deeply devoted to Trinity’s history and traditions, Sr. Mary began to take on responsibilities for Trinity’s archives as the great Sr. Columba Mullaly (Class of 1925) moved into retirement.  After retiring from teaching in 2015, Sr. Mary continued as our full-time archivist, a large responsibility that has included working with numerous scholars outside of Trinity working on research into Catholic colleges, women’s colleges, religious orders and related topics.  Mary’s own writing includes significant contributions to the scholarship about Trinity’s founding and history as well as SNDs and religious life.

We all owe Mary a huge debt of gratitude for her seven decades of devotion to Trinity.  As she moves into her next life stage, she goes with our fondest wishes for continuing good health, much grace, and the opportunity to enjoy some rest and peace.

Sr. Camilla Burns, SNDdeN, Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies

While unable to join us for the luncheon, we are so happy to salute Sr. Camilla Burns for her many years of service to Trinity in Religious Studies, and even before that, as a member of our Board of Trustees and a graduate of Trinity’s Class of 1960 with a Physics major.  Before coming to Trinity Sr. Camilla served two terms as General Moderator of the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame worldwide, a huge leadership position that also had significant meaning for Trinity.  Whatever her role and schedule, Sr. Camilla always took the time to find out what was going on at Trinity and how she could help.  A renowned theologian and specialist in pastoral ministry, Sr. Camilla traveled extensively to give talks and share her scholarship.  Immediately before joining Trinity’s faculty in 2012, Sr. Camilla was on the faculty at Liverpool Hope University in England.  At Trinity, among many accomplishments, she founded and organized programming for the Billiart Center for Social Justice, and across the years many students and faculty enjoyed her talks during “Soup with the Sisters,” an occasional event designed to share the mission and charism of the SNDs with today’s Trinity community.

Sr. Ann Howard, SNDdeN, Campus Minister

In the too-often frenzied whirl of campus life, Campus Ministry provides the calm, reflective, spirit-filled place where students and staff alike can find comfort and inspiration.  For the last eight years, Sr. Ann Howard has been at the center of this place of life and spiritual growth, tireless in her quest to be present and to serve the Trinity community.  Arriving at Trinity from her native Connecticut in 2017, where she had extensive experience in both healthcare ministry as well as campus ministry, Sr. Ann quickly established Campus Ministry as one of the most essential Trinity co-curricular learning activities.

With a particular emphasis on environmental awareness consistent with Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si, she engaged students in tending the gardens at the Franciscan Monastery while also establishing a relationship with Casey Trees that has resulted in planting nearly 200 new trees on campus in recent years.  She welcomed Mr. Cromwell who reinvigorated Trinity’s Gospel Choir, and she worked with the Paulist Fathers to ensure our weekly liturgy.  From planning major liturgies to organizing the Cunneen Fellows Program to meeting with students in great need of spiritual and personal direction, Sr. Ann was always present to each of us with grace and good humor.  We wish her every success in her next endeavor.

Dr. Lynda Jackson, Associate Professor of Business Administration

For Dr. Lynda Jackson, inspiring young women of color to see their pathway to great success is not just a career choice for her, it’s a passion that has driven her work at Trinity since she joined the faculty in 2012.  With nearly 30 years of experience in the Air Force, rising to the rank of Colonel — a rare achievement for a Black woman in the military — Dr. Jackson has a broad network of outstanding women leaders who became part of her instructional portfolio at Trinity.  More than one Air Force general graced Trinity’s classrooms at the invitation of Dr. Jackson as she built a Business program focusing on women’s leadership, with an emphasis on leadership for Trinity’s women of color.   Dr. Jackson’s joy in helping her students to build confidence and lifelong skills for business success has been essential for the success of the Business Administration program.  Even as she retires, we will remember her excellent lessons as Trinity continues to foster learning for leadership.  We are grateful to Dr. Jackson for her many contributions to the success of Trinity Women!

Dr. Dennis Farley, Assistant Professor of Economics

“Awesome” is how students rate Professor Dennis Farley, known for his brilliance in teaching economics while also caring about every student in his classes.  Since joining Trinity’s faculty in Economics in 2010, Dr. Farley has taught a wide range of courses and provided significant support to many disciplines.

Dr. Farley came to Trinity after more than 30 years at the Federal Reserve Bank, rising through the ranks of economists to become the Section Chief of the Bureau of Monetary Affairs.  His broad experience at the Fed launched him on a number of international assignments, consulting to nations eager to learn about the functions and structure of the central bank, from Indonesia to Albania to, most recently, Myanmar.   Closer to home, he made sure his students had opportunities to tour and learn from the Federal Reserve Bank and International Trade Commission, among other field trips.

Personally, Dr. Farley has also maintained a high interest in environmental issues, and he has worked with Dr. Patrice Nielson on projects related to Trinity’s trees.  We wish Dr. Farley much continuing success in his retirement.

Mr. Andres Marin, Facilities

Hard-working, dependable, loyal — these are just some of the qualities that Andres Marin showed all of us during our 35+ years of partnership and friendship at Trinity.  No request was ever too much, no job too strenuous for Andres.  Whether keeping our grounds beautiful or polishing our floors so they would shine like mirrors, Andres was always on the lookout for what could make Trinity look great.

He tackled some of the hardest work on this campus with good humor and a sense of real purpose, lifting and hauling, looking out for potential dangers while leading his team to complete every project successfully.  Every time it snowed, we knew we could count on Andres to be here running the plow and shoveling the walkways.   We miss seeing you around, Andres, but we are so glad that you are now able to enjoy time with your family and friends.   Best wishes for much happiness and joy with your beautiful family in your retirement!

Dr. Gladys Williams, Program Director for Educational Administration

While unable to attend the luncheon, Dr. Gladys Williams has been a significant part of Trinity’s School of Education for more than 15 years, organizing and leading our program in Educational Leadership and Administration.  An experienced school leader, herself, she has stated her philosophy that, “I believe that there is no better role in life than that of being a teacher.”  She has exemplified the excellence and dedication to student success that she expects her graduate students to model.  We wish her well in her next endeavors.

At the end of yesterday’s celebration, Trinity Board Chair Amy Freeman offered closing remarks on behalf of the Board of Trustees; her remarks are below:

I’m so happy to be here on behalf of the Trustees to recognize this remarkable group.

Starting with……

Andres Marin

So, you are the one who has kept Trinity safe and beautiful these past 35 years!  Whenever I walk into a Trinity building, whether the Payden Center or the Grand Main Hall, it is shining.  And now I know why.  Andres, the Board of Trustees is so appreciative for your service to Trinity.  Thank you.

Dr. Dennis Farley and Dr. Lynda Jackson

You’ve both had such distinguished careers in the Federal Reserve and the United States Air Force.  And you both generously chose to share your knowledge and experience with our Trinity students.  What a way to bring Economics and Business to life in the classroom!  The Board of Trustees thanks you for your service to our students.

Sr. Ann Howard

Eight years has gone by quickly!  In that time, you showed us that Mission and Values are not just written documents — they are meant to drive action. Like planting trees; or gathering for communal worship or protesting against injustice.  Just recently I saw your picture on the cover of the Network magazine, holding a protest sign on Capitol Hill. How fitting.  Sr. Ann, the Board of Trustees thanks you for calling all of us to live the Mission and Values.

Sr. Mary Hayes

Over 70 years as student, teacher and steward of Trinity’s treasures.  Sr. Mary, your life is tightly woven into the story of Trinity. Your imprint is indelible. The Board of Trustees is ever grateful to you for your scholarship; preservation of Trinity’s history and for enriching the minds of countless young women over the years. Because you are, quite simply, part of the fabric of Trinity, your legacy will never be diminished. Our profound thanks to you and God speed.

Who Will Champion DEI?

President's Blog: Who Will Champion DEI?

In the most diverse society the world has ever known, supporting diverse student populations in college is both a moral imperative and a social necessity for our nation's future.

In an age when unprecedented governmental intimidation is forcing major universities to eliminate DEI programs, imposing shocking financial penalties for resistance, who will champion sustaining a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion?  The current political administration has embarked on an aggressive campaign to wipe out any semblance of DEI practices, claiming that DEI is illegal.  This is simply not true, and yet one major university after another has bowed down to the commands of the overlords.  This abject response, given ostensibly in a futile effort to protect the economic interests of the institutions, betrays higher education’s moral commitments to our students, faculty, staff and alumni — particularly those who are persons of color, or women, or immigrants, or who identify as LGBTQ, or who are marginalized in so many ways by the dominant culture.  In the most diverse society the world has ever known, supporting diverse student populations in college is both a moral imperative and a social necessity for our nation’s future.

Yes, there are some courageous exceptions.  Harvard has chosen a profoundly expensive legal battle; they have the resources.  University of Virginia President Jim Ryan chose to resign rather than subject that venerable university to the pernicious consequences of a similar fight; UVA may suffer anyway.  George Mason University President Gregory Washington, one of the best in the business and the first Black president of Virginia’s largest public university, is standing his ground — so far.  He gave a rousing defense of DEI in his recent letter to the Mason community, demonstrating a model that should inspire more presidents to stand up and be counted.

Let’s talk about what IS illegal.  It’s illegal, yes, to choose candidates for admission or hiring or other benefits based solely on their race or gender in ways that disadvantage or exclude others who are equally qualified.  Because, historically, white males were almost always favored in hiring and admissions, generations of advocates for justice demonstrated, lobbied, marched, were beaten, imprisoned, firehosed and eventually successful in securing the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 signed by none other than that old segregationist President Lyndon B. Johnson.

As George Mason President Washington wrote in his letter to his campus community, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act “…was enacted to dismantle explicit and systemic racial discrimination that denied access to education, employment, housing, and public services based solely on race, color, or national origin. It was designed to ensure that no person in the United States would be excluded from participation in federally funded programs because of who they are.”

Now, the current political administration, in league with some very wealthy rightwing interests, is turning the civil rights victories and legal protections of the last half century on their heads, allowing the provisions of the Civil Rights Act to defeat programs and protections for the very people the law was created to help.

This perversion of the Civil Rights Act has become a weapon to undermine and destabilize the academic autonomy and mission values of colleges and universities that have long held commitments to racial and social justice as central to their work.  Teaching students how to live and work together in the most diverse society the world has ever known is certainly not illegal or wrong — it is a moral imperative!  Making it possible for persons who were historically barred from higher education to have opportunities to go to college is not only not illegal, it is essential to this nation’s health, security and long-term domestic peace.

The drive for inclusion of once-excluded and marginalized persons has a long history in America, pre-dating the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement.  Catholics were largely excluded from America’s early colleges, so Georgetown College (now university) started in 1789 to open opportunities for Catholic men in those days.  Blacks were excluded from higher education until the late 20^th Century, so Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were founded to provide pathways into higher education starting with the founding of Cheyney University in 1837 in Pennsylvania.  Women were excluded from most colleges until the mid-20^th Century, so Salem College founded in 1772 led the way for women’s colleges.  While these “special mission” colleges opened pathways into higher education for historically excluded persons, they did not necessarily provide the full educational, economic and social benefits of the institutions that historically served privileged white men.

In the mid-20^th Century, the movements for civil rights and women’s rights propelled the opening of the most exclusive colleges and universities to all qualified students without regard for race, religion, gender or other personal characteristics.  Yet, many women and students of color still felt marginalized on the newly diversified elite university campuses with the result that programs to welcome, include, support and ensure equity became imperative for diverse student populations to enjoy the full benefits of higher education.  In 1972, the continuing discrimination against women in colleges led to the enactment of Title IX of the Civil Rights Act to enshrine equal opportunity for women into federal law.

Sadly, some powerful white persons now claim that making opportunities for inclusion and equitable treatment available to persons of color is illegal discrimination against whites, and some also claim that opening opportunities for women discriminates against men.  Without any proof, but with improper citations to certain legal cases, these individuals are working in league with the current political administration to ban as illegal any programs that promote access and opportunity for diverse populations, using perverse interpretations of Title VI and Title IX to undermine equity initiatives.

Consider the case of Marc Andreessen, a multi-billionaire technology investor, who recently received front page attention in the Washington Post for his vicious comments about universities and DEI in a group chat on WhatsApp. The chat, supposedly on the topic of artificial intelligence, was private, but this being Washington, someone helpfully took screenshots of his comments and leaked them to the Post.  In the chat, Andreessen expressed extreme hostility to DEI practices as well as immigration.   The Post reported: “The combination of DEI and immigration is politically lethal,” Andreessen wrote. “When these two forms of discrimination combine, as they have for the last 60 years and on hyperdrive for the last decade, they systematically cut most of the children of the Trump voter base out of any realistic prospect of access to higher education and corporate America.”  He went on to say that “my people are furious and not going to take it any more,” calling universities “ground zero of the counterattack” and declaring that, “They declare war on 70% of the country and now they’re going to pay the price.”

Who does he mean by “my people” …??  I leave it to the readers’ imaginations…

How can somebody so wealthy be so ill-informed and so angry about discrimination he has never suffered?  His billions suggest that nobody has discriminated against him, to be sure.  Moreover, an examination of the demographic data of the nation’s most prestigious universities confirms that students of color, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, are a tiny percentage of the student bodies — less than 10% in many cases.  They are hardly taking seats from the white majority.

As well, if Andreessen did a modicum of research (or asked his AI chatbot) he would learn that thousands of seats in higher education go unfilled every year.  It’s a myth that “children of the Trump voter base” do not have “any realistic prospect of access to higher education…”  Access is everywhere!  (ChatGPT just answered my query about how many seats go unfilled annually in American higher education with this stunning tidbit:  In U.S. higher education, a striking statistic reveals that institutional capacity is under‑utilized by about 25%, meaning roughly 5 million empty classroom seats each year.”)

But, heck, what does Chat GPT know?

For real expertise on this topic, let’s talk Trinity.  At Trinity, our faculty and students know a thing or two about DEI and immigration.  56% of our students are Black, 30% are Latina, 95% are women, and a substantial number are immigrants.  Trinity’s ambitious, forward-thinking students know full well what it means to have a chance to go to college, how important it is to be in a university that supports them, how inspiring it is to see faculty who “look like me” in the classroom and around campus.  These are students who have deep personal experience with discrimination and they are working hard in college to learn how to move forward without rancor and with purpose.  Students such as ours at Trinity are not taking any seats or jobs away from anybody but they are preparing for work that our society needs so very much — nursing and healthcare, teaching and counseling, entrepreneurship and leadership in communities of high need.

Trinity’s commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion is rooted in Catholic teaching on social justice.  The first tenet of social justice is the imperative to protect and honor the dignity of all human life.  Our faith teachings on social justice compel us to welcome and educate diverse populations of students who were once marginalized in education and society.

Who will champion DEI?

I will!  Who will join me?

The Moral Depravity of Alligator Alcatraz

President's Blog: The Moral Depravity of Alligator Alcatraz

Nothing "pro-life" about mass deportation and detention camps designed for maximum cruelty.

(Homeland Security Thinks This is Cute)

“Alligator Alcatraz” is the very definition of moral depravity, an immigrant “detention center” (some critics would say “concentration camp”) created by the current federal government regime in cooperation with the remarkably cruel state government of Florida.  In a remote section of the Everglades, the hastily-constructed prison for immigrants is surrounded by the natural habitat of some large, lovely but very dangerous predators — alligators and crocodiles to name but two, along with poisonous snakes, pythons, bobcats, panthers and possibly the most dangerous wild thing of all, tiny mosquitos carrying the potential for grave disease.

Already, some detainees are reporting grossly inhumane conditions inside the camp while officials of the current administration gloat about the likelihood of alligators eating anyone who tries to escape.

Sadly typical of American entrepreneurism, they’re even selling merchandise — hats, t-shirts, mugs — touting this cruel and inhumane theme park for human beings whose major offense was trying to flee violence and poverty in their home countries.

The detainees are largely people who have recently been snatched from streets by masked federal agents, rounded-up at their job sites like Home Depot and other places that employ immigrants at low wages, treated like cattle as they are herded to detention centers to await deportation back to the places they fled, or worse, to places they never lived that are havens of violence (see: South Sudan).  Federal officials claim that the detainees are violent criminals, but while some are, many have committed no crimes.  And regardless of criminal records, the United States must treat every person with respect, humanity and due process — all of which are lacking in the current administration’s heinous roundup of immigrants.  It’s also notable that while most detainees are undocumented immigrants, some are also legal residents who are swept up in the anti-immigrant mania of the current administration.

If any other nation created such a horrific prison, the U.S. would be swift to condemn the barbaric intentions of the regime.  So it should be in our own country.  Regardless of political affiliation, citizens of the United States should be universally horrified by this descent into moral depravity by the current administration.  Regardless of whether “Alligator Alcatraz” is really a detention center or merely a prop in the ongoing performative politics of the current White House, every citizen who believes in the fundamental American values of freedom and justice should demand an immediate end to this circus of cruelty and human degradation.

Everyone who claims to be “pro-life” should immediately condemn this blatant assault on human life and dignity.

To their credit, the U.S. Catholic Bishops have consistently opposed the mass deportation initiatives of the current administration.  Pope Leo XIV has consistently advocated for the right of migrants to be treated humanely.

While the human life impact of “Alligator Alcatraz” is the priority concern, the detention center also raises important questions about environmental degradation in that area.  As well, the native American tribes that inhabit part of the Everglades (Miccosukee, Seminole) have objected vehemently to the facility.

On a personal note, I have visited the Everglades and the Big Cypress Reserve on various occasions when I am in Florida.  In defense of the alligators and crocodiles, they are beautiful wild creatures who should not be weaponized for the political ends of an authoritarian regime.  Over the years, the Everglades have suffered one federal disaster after another, and yet the land revives after each blunder.  It’s high time to return the land and water and wild things to their natural state, in which they will thrive in peace and beauty, not terror and human oppression.

Jefferson Weeps

President's Blog: Jefferson Weeps

Higher education must do more to assert its independence and to stand up for our students who are marginalized through the bans on diversity, equity and inclusion programming.

(photo credit for Jefferson Statue at UVA)

Thomas Jefferson is surely weeping at the tawdry spectacle of tyrannical vengeance his beloved university has become.  Aided and abetted by a political Board of Trustees for the university that has failed in its fundamental duty of loyalty to the institution, the Trump Administration has gleefully claimed yet another presidential victim in its senseless, destructive war on higher education.  Decapitating university leadership has become a blood sport for the authoritarian regime that has proudly forced out presidents and presidential aspirants at Harvard, Penn, Columbia, Florida and, now, the University of Virginia.

In an interview I gave to Liz Willen, editor of The Hechinger Report, I said that, “The forced resignation of UVA President James Ryan lays bare once more the intent of the Trump Administration to silence the leadership of American higher education and to debilitate its leading institutions so that the regime can continue its campaign to deconstruct our Democracy without opposition.”  The title of Willen’s column aptly states the new realities for higher education: “Why higher education should be mourning the loss of its independence on July 4th.”

But the threat is much larger and deeper than the debilitation of elite universities.  By crippling one great university after another through grossly improper interference with internal university policies including the tenure of presidents, Trump is trying to intimidate the entire higher education sector into abject compliance with his authoritarian directives, particularly those that demand abandoning principles and programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

This is not a mere academic exercise to achieve some kind of rebalancing of the curriculum.  Trump’s real war is on this country’s 70 years of progress on civil rights and equal opportunity for Black Americans in particular.  Since the Supreme Court ended the shame of “separate but equal” laws and policies in 1954 (Brown v. Board of Education), leading to the subsequent enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other court rulings and legislative actions intended to level the playing field for persons suffering historic discrimination, right-wing politicians and interest groups have been working in overdrive to stop this nation’s progress toward true racial justice and equity for all persons.

In the most cynical and abusive twist to this sad story, the right has now co-opted much of civil rights law and policy to defeat its very purpose in promoting equal opportunity for those who suffered historic discrimination, notably Black and Brown Americans, women, ethnic minorities and LGBTQ persons.  The Trump Administration’s Department of Justice and Civil Rights Office at the U.S. Department of Education have made the usurpation of civil rights laws into an art form, most recently accusing Harvard University of “violent violation” of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act for failing to protect Jewish students from discrimination on that campus (Harvard vigorously denies the charge) — and threatening Harvard with a total economic obliteration by ending all federal funding for the nation’s oldest university.

To date, while using the scrim of antisemitism as a political cudgel to wage its war on universities, the Trump Administration has said absolutely nothing about discrimination and abuse suffered by African American and Hispanic students — and instead, the same administration that lectures Harvard about “viewpoint diversity” has ordered a complete end to any and all programs that promote DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — wrongly deeming such programs to be illegal, which they are not.

We leaders of higher education must redouble our resolve to confront the racism, ethnic hatred, sexism and homophobia that drive the political attack on DEI.  Such confrontation may come at a cost, yes, but the larger cost is the loss of the soul of the university.  Let’s be clear: taking diversity, equity and inclusion values into account is NOT illegal, as the Trump administration claims, and in fact, those principles reflect a moral viewpoint on justice that undergirds the work of many, if not most, colleges and universities. Catholic colleges and universities, in particular, have a large commitment to the religious tenets of social justice that start with recognizing the dignity and worth of every human being, a teaching that demands that we stand for racial justice and an end to white supremacy and ethnic hatred.

It’s our responsibility to shape the future citizen leaders of this nation, the most diverse polity in human history, and to teach our students how to respect and support each other and serve communities regardless of personal characteristics.  No federal official has the right to force out an institutional leader who stands up for the values, policies and practices of the university.  The willingness of the UVA Board to cooperate with the Trump Administration’s pressure campaign — facilitated by the obvious bias of several Board members — is also a complete abandonment of the Board’s responsibility to act in defense of the university against improper external interference.

249 years ago, Thomas Jefferson was the lead writer for the manifesto of freedom that became known as the Declaration of Independence, a moment in history that we celebrate this week and every year on July 4.  In this moment of grave peril not only for higher education but for our nation’s commitment to true democratic principles, let’s remember the point and purpose of the Declaration of Independence and these opening paragraphs:

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

To read the entire Declaration of Independence visit https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

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