1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: On Tuesday, I made the wrenching but necessary decision to 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: resign as Harvard's president. For weeks, both I and the 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,319 Speaker 1: institution to which I've devoted my professional life have been 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:14,319 Speaker 1: under attack. My character and intelligence have been impugned. My 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:19,279 Speaker 1: commitment to fighting anti Semitism has been questioned. My inbox 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: has been flooded with invective, including death threats. I've been 7 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: called the inward more times than I care to count. 8 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: That's just an excerpt from Claudine Gay. She was Harvard's 9 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: first black president who recently resigned this week after less 10 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 1: than a year. She is the topic of today's Naked podcasts. 11 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to the show. 12 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 2: It's the greatest stperson in the same and can make 13 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 2: you win Champion and Carrie Chappy is to be a 14 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 2: champion of Champion and Carri Chapi and they out a 15 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 2: champion and Cari Chapion and Carrie Chtet get word. 16 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, welcome to a another edition of Naked. So 17 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: I decided we were obviously coming into the new year, 18 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: and happy New Year to everyone. My reality is is 19 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: that I was hoping that I would have a great 20 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: show to tell you about all these New Year's resolutions 21 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: and what I'm working on this that and the third. 22 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: But I just I don't have that in me today, 23 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: and I hope you guys forgive me. I just have 24 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: a lot of my heart. Here we are the first 25 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: week into the new year, and you know, true to 26 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: how America is, America is American. You know, if that's 27 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: a word, it's doing what it does best. And most recently, 28 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: I don't know if you all read about this, but 29 00:01:52,960 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: Clauding Gay, who was the very first black female president 30 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: at Harvard University, has decided to resign. She stepped down 31 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,399 Speaker 1: just a few days ago. As you're listening to this podcast, 32 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: I'm sure you've seen it in the news. And this 33 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: comes after a series of battles with people on the 34 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:21,800 Speaker 1: right who said that she was bringing down the institution. 35 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: This comes after she testified before Congress. Clotting Gay and 36 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: two other women who are presidents of universities, well known universities, 37 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: Mit being one of them, were questioned before Congress and 38 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: they fell into a well laid trap about their views 39 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: on what's going on in the Middle East. And then 40 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: they were subsequently accused of being antisemitic, and as you know, 41 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: that is basically a death sentence for your career. You're 42 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: guaranteed to be canceled. If you are in a position 43 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 1: that is high performing, a platform position such as being 44 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: the president of Harvard, you will be told what is 45 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: going on. And so sadly, I am here today to 46 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: talk about Claudine Gay as a black woman being fired. 47 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: The reason why I am talking about that, and she 48 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: wasn't fired, let me correct myself, resigning, and she was 49 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: forced to resign. Let's be clear, she didn't do it 50 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,080 Speaker 1: on her own. I was so excited when she became 51 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,839 Speaker 1: the very first black woman president in Harvard's nearly four 52 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: hundred year history. Progress to you, guys, that's called progress. Here. 53 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: It is twenty twenty three at the time, and she 54 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: is being named the president. It had never happened before 55 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: in this prestigious history of this university. And shortly thereafter, 56 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: the attacks on her character, the attacks on her competence, 57 00:03:55,960 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: the attack on who she is as a person. Now 58 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: the reason why this hurt me, and I hope that 59 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,119 Speaker 1: you can relate to this, you know, not just being 60 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: a black woman, but just in general. Can you relate 61 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: to the inequity sometimes in this country that is so 62 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: frustrating that makes you feel hopeless. It was painful for 63 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:20,599 Speaker 1: me because I walk in this world, even as I 64 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: do this podcast, even as I talk to you right now, guys, 65 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: as I'm struggling to find my words, I walk through 66 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: this world, especially in my professional world, thinking should I 67 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: or should I not? Should I or should I not? 68 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: And what I mean by that is is that I 69 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: take my time and I choose my words carefully because 70 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: I don't want to be fired. I don't want to 71 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: be told I can't work anymore. I don't want to 72 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: be accused of something that simply isn't true, because once 73 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 1: you are labeled, especially as a black woman in a 74 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: position that has a platform, once you were labeled, it's 75 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 1: really hard to change that narrative if you are labeled, 76 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: especially if you're labeled by the extremists that are in 77 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: this country. Clauding Gay was born in nineteen seventy. She 78 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: is the child of two Haitian immigrants who came to 79 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: this country looking for the American dream. And if you 80 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 1: don't believe that being the very first black president, female 81 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: president at Harvard it's not the American dream, that you 82 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: are crazy, because it is. And she gets this job. 83 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: She first of all, was a professor there by way 84 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: of background. Then she gets the job to become the president, 85 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: to lead this university into a new era. All of this, 86 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: to me is the American dream. And I'm sure that 87 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: it was something beautiful for her, but taken away in 88 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:47,359 Speaker 1: just an instant when she testified before Congress and she 89 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 1: did not explain herself well enough when they were asking 90 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,280 Speaker 1: her questions about what was going on in the Middle 91 00:05:55,320 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: East and her approach towards anti Semitism. It was enough. 92 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: It wasn't sufficient enough for those in Congress, and it 93 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: obviously those who wanted to label her as an antisemitic 94 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 1: professor and president of Harvard. There was no grace, there 95 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: was no mercy, there was no understanding. Here's the kicker, though, 96 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 1: I find often in my career, whether it's on camera 97 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: or off camera, while it's in the workplace or not 98 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: in the workplace, I give out so much grace and mercy. 99 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: I hear offensive comments, I mean daily, grace's comments daily, 100 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: and I ignore it as you do as a marginalized 101 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,840 Speaker 1: person in society. If you are gay, if you are black, 102 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: if you are a woman, if you are all three, 103 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: if you are a black man. If you are whatever 104 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 1: these other marginalized are in our culture, you will understand 105 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: that oftentimes we give grace, mercy, and we look the 106 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: other way, we turn the other cheek, because it's exhausting. 107 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: If I had to address every every instance of racism, 108 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 1: every instance where I felt like I was being slighted, 109 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 1: if I had to say or correct every single colleague 110 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 1: who had called me girl, you know that drives me 111 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: in saying, don't call me girl. I'm a grown ass 112 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 1: woman and I do not know you and do not 113 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: put on the black voice. I deal with it often now, 114 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: depending on my mood. Yes, I stop and I try 115 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: to educate. But why why why why must I educate 116 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: grown people about how to behave and what they should 117 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: and shouldn't say, and what is racist and what is 118 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: not racist. This is twenty twenty four. You don't know 119 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: what's racist. I say all that because there was no 120 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: mercy and no grace given to this woman. No one 121 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: tried to even understand what she was saying. But we 122 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: often do that. We have to do that to survive. Again, 123 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: as I'm doing this podcast, I'm thinking you should I 124 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: or shouldn't I. I don't have the freedom that the 125 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: majority has where they walk through the world light as 126 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: can be, and they say whatever they want and move 127 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: anyway they want to with the privileged entitlement that this 128 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: country has given them. From day one, this woman worked 129 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: her way up through the mud, became a professor at Harvard. 130 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: They believed in her so much they wanted her to 131 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: run the university. And when people were calling for her 132 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: to step down, the entire board at Harvard stood behind 133 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: her and said, no, we hunanimously believe in Clauding Gay, 134 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: and she is our president. She's going to take us 135 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: in the future. Clauding Gay decided to step down on 136 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: her own because they started to attack her family. The 137 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:47,080 Speaker 1: extremists on the right started to attack her family, and 138 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: she said, you know what, it's not worth it. I 139 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,839 Speaker 1: don't want you coming after my family. I am exhausted 140 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: with the microscope that this university is under just because 141 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: a black woman is at the helm. Now I'm going 142 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: to read you what she wrote in the New York 143 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 1: Times after she was well. She was after she decided 144 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: to resign. I want to say let go because she 145 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: was forced. After she decided to resign as president, she 146 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: went to New York Times and she pinned her thoughts 147 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: so very powerful and courageous, and one of the things 148 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: she said was this, Yes, I made mistakes in my 149 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,199 Speaker 1: initial response to the atrocities of October seventh. I should 150 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: have stated more forcefully what all people of good conscience know. 151 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: Hamas is a terrorist organization that seeks to eradicate the 152 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 1: Jewish state, and at a Congressional hearing last month, I 153 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: fell into a well laid trap. I neglected to clearly 154 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: articulate that cause for the genocide of Jewish people are 155 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: abhorrent and unacceptable, and that I would use every tool 156 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,320 Speaker 1: at my disposal to protect my students from that kind 157 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: of hate. What she's saying is when she went and 158 00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:01,559 Speaker 1: testified before Congress, I guess her word words weren't clear enough. 159 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: Everyone knows it is disgusting what happened October seventh. It 160 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 1: is disgusting that Hamas has been terrorizing the people in Israel. 161 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: It is disgusting. There's no there's no room to disagree 162 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: with that. But according to Claudine Gay, she did not 163 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 1: do it in a way in which others deemed acceptable, 164 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 1: and they have been on her ass ever since. That 165 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 1: is the word choice that I used, I continue to 166 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: read a little more so. As she wraps up her 167 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: up ed explaining why she decided to step down as president, 168 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:46,440 Speaker 1: she says this and now she's referring to those who 169 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: have been attacking her and her family for the last 170 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: few months. She writes, they recycled tired racial stereotypes about 171 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 1: black talent and temperament. They pushed a false narrative of 172 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:05,319 Speaker 1: indifference and incompetence. And I'll read that to you again. 173 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: She says, this is what they did to her. They 174 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: recycled tired racial stereotypes about black talent and temperament. Is 175 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: she angry? Is she obtuse? Is she an angry black woman? 176 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: Is that what you mean by her temperament? They pushed 177 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: a false narrative of indifference and incompetence. They're saying her 178 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: black excellence didn't really matter. They're saying this woman isn't 179 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 1: as educated because we found out she quote unquote plagiarized. 180 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:37,679 Speaker 1: It is not lost on me that I make an 181 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: ideal canvas for projecting every anxiety about the generational and 182 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:46,840 Speaker 1: demographic changes unfolding on American canvases. Black woman selected to 183 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: lead a storied institution, someone who've used diversity as a 184 00:11:51,880 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: source of institutional strength. It's so annoying, and I know 185 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 1: that I have more words than annoying, but I am 186 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: going to tell you why. So after the university backed 187 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 1: Claudine Gay and so we don't want her to be 188 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: let go. We felt like she answered those questions appropriately. 189 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: We do not believe that she's antisemitic. In fact, she 190 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 1: is the opposite. She's here to protect all of our students, 191 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: and we support her. That's what the Harvard board said. 192 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:26,679 Speaker 1: In short, I'm paraphrasing, let no one say I'm plagiarizing. 193 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:33,200 Speaker 1: Then out of nowhere, out of nowhere, there's this quiet 194 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: campaign being led by a man and others, but one 195 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 1: of the main voices was this guy named Rufo, Christopher 196 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 1: Rufo and Bill Ackman, and those guys were like, oh, 197 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 1: she's a plagiariss. They went back and reviewed her work 198 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: from nearly fifteen years ago, years and years ago, and 199 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: said she did not do correct sourcing and citing. She 200 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,959 Speaker 1: did not say in her thesis paper, for instance, where 201 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 1: she got this information from, and when you don't cite 202 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,680 Speaker 1: who you took the information from. And apparently they said 203 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: she did it over and over and over again on 204 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 1: other papers. They decided that she was a plagiarist, and 205 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: a plagiarist couldn't lead the University of Harvard. They decided 206 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: that she had to go because she wasn't competent, She's 207 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 1: not smart enough. Now, no one believes that. No one 208 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: believes that this Haitian woman, daughter of immigrants, stumbled her 209 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: way into Harvard University, stumbled her way into being a professor, 210 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: and stumbled her way into being a president. It just 211 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: doesn't work that way. You do know that, right, This 212 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 1: woman is a political scientist, and it was one of 213 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: these moments where you knew that, no matter what happened, 214 00:13:56,440 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: she had to go. And it's unfortunate because I ask 215 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: you this question. I've been talking to you my friends 216 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: about this, and I wonder does our black excellence protect us? 217 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: We have heard this trope over and over again. We 218 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: have to be five times better, ten times smarter just 219 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: to get half the pay, or just to be level 220 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: with mediocrity in this world, white mediocrity, to be to 221 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 1: be specific. Right, And I am now realizing I'm today 222 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: years old, and I am realizing that black excellence is 223 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: just an armor for us. It does not protect us. 224 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: This woman is black excellence defined. She is black excellence defined. 225 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: And they forced her out of this position on quote 226 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: unquote plagiarism. They couldn't take her out with the hearing 227 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: that she had regarding October seventh and how students in 228 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:11,840 Speaker 1: her campus would move on. They didn't like her response. Okay, 229 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: so that wasn't enough to get her fired. Then they decided, well, 230 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: we'll find something else. They have been digging and digging 231 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: and digging. On December tenth, conservative activist Christopher Rufo publicly 232 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 1: wrote about anonymous plagiarism allegations against Clauding Gay, leading a 233 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: group of Harvard faculty to call for her resignation. Initially, 234 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: Harvard's board fully supported Gay, but later retracted following all 235 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 1: the other allegations of plagiarism. On January second, twenty twenty four, 236 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: defending her academic record and suggesting that she was the 237 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: target of a highly personal racist attack, she decided to 238 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 1: step down. Christopher Rufo then went on to every social 239 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: media platform and declared the resignation a conservative victory that, 240 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: according to reports, they were so furious that this woman 241 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: was in this position of power and that she was 242 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: being supported by the board. They had to find something else. 243 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: The conservatives could not stand the idea of this black 244 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: woman being in power. There's a saying, you're their petentil, 245 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: you're their threat. Have you guys ever heard of that? 246 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 1: Have you ever worked in a position where you have 247 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 1: been favored because you're so good at what you do? 248 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: Because we don't have a choice. When you're black, you 249 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: have to be excellent, and you initially start off as 250 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: their pet. They enjoy you, they like being around you. 251 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 1: You're great, you're this, you're that. But then when you 252 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:58,920 Speaker 1: become too good, you become a threat. And I am 253 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: calling this a firmative reaction, meaning there's no more affirmative action. 254 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 1: We all know that they got rid of that, but 255 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 1: here she is at the height of what I call 256 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: literally conservative influence everywhere we look around, and she's managed 257 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 1: to make her way to be the president of this university, 258 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:28,399 Speaker 1: and there are people furious about it. I don't understand 259 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 1: how we can live in a world and no one 260 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: say anything, especially us as black folks. We're not talking 261 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 1: about this. We should be up in arms, we should 262 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: be demanding that she gets her job back. But we 263 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:45,399 Speaker 1: have been taught by this country to sit silent. We 264 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:48,159 Speaker 1: have been taught not to use our voices. We have 265 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: been taught to put our head down and do the work. 266 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:53,479 Speaker 1: We got a good job, and boy am I tired. 267 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: I'm exhausted with that philosophy. I'm exhausted with the idea 268 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 1: that I can fight and protect those who need protection 269 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: that look like me, because Heaven forbid when it's my turn, 270 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 1: and it hasn't gotten us anywhere. We I mean, really 271 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: putting our head down and doing our job. Don't you 272 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:17,679 Speaker 1: think Claudy and Gay had been doing that? Here she 273 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 1: is with her dream job to be the president of 274 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: the storied institution as a black woman, and they took 275 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: it away in an instant, instant instant. 276 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 2: Every champion and carry champions to be a champion, a 277 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,360 Speaker 2: champion and carry champion, and Carrid Chap beat a champion 278 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 2: and carry champion, and Carrie chapfraid is the sports and 279 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:45,360 Speaker 2: entertainment getting nake you weird? Every champion, the Cary champion 280 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 2: is to be a champion, a champion and carried champion. 281 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 2: They yt a champion and carry champion and carried chapientertainment 282 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 2: getting nakee word. 283 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: Now this is where it gets cute, because I want 284 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: to educate you guys on this. I can go down 285 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: a list of different things, and I'm just gonna just 286 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:08,879 Speaker 1: by way of recap, I want you to understand she 287 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: got this job. She testified before Congress with two other professors, 288 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:17,000 Speaker 1: one of which has already been fired a woman. It 289 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:18,919 Speaker 1: was a hit on all the women across the board. 290 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: By the way, they're waiting, they have one more that 291 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:23,120 Speaker 1: they're going to try to get out. There's only one 292 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: more left. She probably will resign after this, after this 293 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:30,679 Speaker 1: instance with Claudine Gay, so they couldn't get her on 294 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: her testimony, but they did get her on plagiarism, and 295 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: they said, you didn't you plagiarize to her credit. In 296 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 1: her up ed she said, once I found out that 297 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: I didn't give proper citation, and she's written so many papers, 298 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:49,840 Speaker 1: she said, when I found out there wasn't proper citation, 299 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:51,760 Speaker 1: I went back and asked him to correct it. It 300 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 1: wasn't as if I was trying to pass this work 301 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 1: off as my own. I'm very well aware of the 302 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 1: fact that it's not my work. Some of these things 303 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: that they're accusing me of for just ridict so Anyway, 304 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 1: the group of people, those conservatives who were adamant about 305 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 1: her leaving, one of which was a man by the 306 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: name of Bill Aikman. And I hope I'm pronouncing his 307 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: name correctly, but I do want to tell you about 308 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: Bill Aikman. He went to Twitter and he was like, 309 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 1: I am so happy we got her out of there. 310 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:28,120 Speaker 1: This woman's a plagiarists. Not to mention she's anti Semitic, 311 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 1: and this is a victory for us. He and Christopher 312 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:33,479 Speaker 1: Ruffo were talking about scalp. We got one more scalp. 313 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:37,280 Speaker 1: This is what they're saying on social media. They scalped her. 314 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: Turns out, one of the main people trying to get 315 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: Claudie and gay about the pate his wife is accused 316 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 1: of plagiarism. Wow, wow, wow, isn't that cute? In the 317 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:57,400 Speaker 1: Business Insider, it says Bill Aikman's celebrity academic wife, Nary Oxman, 318 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: her dissertation is by plagiarism. Can you believe that? He 319 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: goes on Twitter and says, it's all a mistake. They're 320 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:12,640 Speaker 1: coming after me now and my family because I got 321 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 1: Clauding gay about the paint. Oh, they're doing exactly what 322 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:17,679 Speaker 1: you did to Clauding Gay. I see right, Oh, I 323 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 1: see what you did to Clauding Gay. They're doing whoever 324 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:22,879 Speaker 1: they are, are doing it to you. Here's my point. 325 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: Plagiarism was a trumped up charge. They had no way 326 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:28,680 Speaker 1: of getting rid of this woman because she was excellent. 327 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: She was Black excellence. And again I ask you, how 328 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 1: in the hell does this help us? So what if 329 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 1: we're excellent? Where is our protection? And I am I'm 330 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 1: specifically talking about black women now, where is our protection? 331 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:52,639 Speaker 1: We are the most unprotected and disrespected group in society. 332 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 1: Thank you Malcolm X for that quote. This man and 333 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: others who are clearly millionaires a few times over, with 334 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:06,679 Speaker 1: much much influence, wanted her up out the pain. And 335 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:11,720 Speaker 1: it turns out bil Egman's wife also accused of plagiarism 336 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:16,919 Speaker 1: and her dissertation, The Business Insider writes. An analysis by 337 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 1: Business Insider found a similar pattern of plagiarism by Ackman's wife, 338 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 1: Nary AxMan, who became a tenured professor at MIT in 339 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:29,439 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen. AxMan plagiarized multiple paragraphs of her twenty ten 340 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 1: doctoral dissertation, Business Insider found, including at least one passage 341 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: directly lifted from other writers without citation. Her husband, Hagman, 342 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:46,320 Speaker 1: has taken a hardline stance on plagiarism. On Wednesday, responding 343 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: to news that Clauding Gay will remain a part of 344 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,719 Speaker 1: Harvard's faculty after she resigned as president, he wrote on 345 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 1: Twitter that Gay should be fired completely due to serious 346 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: plagiarism issues. Really, really, here's more, same guy who wants 347 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:10,640 Speaker 1: Clouding Gay fired for plagiarism, and I'm putting that in quotes. 348 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:15,840 Speaker 1: In twenty nineteen, it was found out that he pressured 349 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 1: Mit to keep his wife's name out of a brewing 350 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 1: scandal over an original sculpture she gave to Jeffrey Epstein. 351 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,879 Speaker 1: They have connections to Epstein. And here we are, we 352 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 1: sit quietly while they demand clotting Gay be let go 353 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:44,159 Speaker 1: entirely from Harvard. I hope I'm not confusing you. Summary, 354 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: This black woman becomes the very first president black woman 355 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: president at Harvard in its nearly four hundred year history. 356 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: She was installed in July of twenty twenty three. Here 357 00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 1: it is January, not even a full six months. She 358 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 1: resigned because they are coming after her head because they 359 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: did not like one. This is what they're saying they 360 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,440 Speaker 1: did not like her response to the October seventh attacks. 361 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,840 Speaker 1: Then they also said she was a playdiss So she said, 362 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 1: not only am I not smart enough, this is what 363 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:18,560 Speaker 1: you guys are accusing me of. You're also saying my 364 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:22,880 Speaker 1: temperament is a problem. I'm an angry black woman. I'm 365 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 1: pro black. I'm this that where where in the world 366 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 1: in this country is the sanity. I couldn't even imagine 367 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:36,120 Speaker 1: what she has had to deal with in academia as 368 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: a black woman at Harvard. I couldn't even imagine what 369 00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: people have said to her over the years. I can't 370 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: even imagine the racist comments, the microaggressions, the constant I 371 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: have to prove myself to you. It reminds me of 372 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: what Taraji Henson just said. 373 00:24:56,280 --> 00:25:01,439 Speaker 3: I'm just tired of working so hard getting paid a 374 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 3: fraction of the cost. I'm tired of hearing my sisters 375 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 3: say the same thing over and over. It seems every 376 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 3: time I do something and I break another glass ceiling. 377 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 3: When it's time to renegotiate, I'm at the bottom again, 378 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 3: like I never did what I just did, and I'm 379 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:15,760 Speaker 3: just tired. 380 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: She's exhausted. She's exhausted every time and I'm paraphrasing. Every 381 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 1: single time I break some sort of barrier, I get 382 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:32,160 Speaker 1: through some sort of glass ceiling, I have to walk 383 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: into a new room and prove myself all over again. 384 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:43,920 Speaker 1: And I'm tired. She's talking about pay. She's talking about 385 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,920 Speaker 1: fighting in a room for herself because no one else 386 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 1: is fighting for her. She's talking about not being appreciated 387 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 1: for all the hard work that she's done. She's talking 388 00:25:56,359 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 1: about not getting paid what her worth is. I've heard 389 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,639 Speaker 1: Viola Davis say the same thing. Well, if I'm the 390 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:09,400 Speaker 1: black MARYL. Streep, pay me like Meryl Streep, why does 391 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:15,200 Speaker 1: the black mean I get less? Because guess what does 392 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 1: our black excellence matter? Now? Mind you, I'm not encouraging 393 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 1: any of us to show up less than. I'm not 394 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,640 Speaker 1: saying don't shine. I'm not saying don't be excellent. I'm 395 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: not saying don't be your best. You can't help but 396 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 1: be your best, because the world, especially in the workplace, 397 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:35,320 Speaker 1: won't allow us to be anything less. I don't know 398 00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 1: too many of us who have any success in society 399 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,160 Speaker 1: based on being mediocre. I don't know any of us, 400 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: and by that I mean blacks, and I'm sure that 401 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:49,399 Speaker 1: we can find some, but it's rare. And I'm not 402 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: saying do not be excellent, but I am saying that armor, 403 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: that black excellence armor that we think protects us, does 404 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 1: not protect us. And that is the reality, and better 405 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:04,880 Speaker 1: be prepared. We have to start being strategic. What does 406 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 1: that look like, you asked, I don't know. I don't 407 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:09,679 Speaker 1: know exactly what it looks like for you. But for me, 408 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 1: it looks like taking receipts, playing the long game, realizing 409 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: that I need to be two steps ahead. That's even 410 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 1: more exhausting, right, because now you have to play chess 411 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: while at work. You should always be doing that, but 412 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 1: that's what we have to do, and it's exhausting. Guys, 413 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:42,640 Speaker 1: it's exhausting. I I mean, I'm hurt, and I didn't 414 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:44,360 Speaker 1: want to get too deep in the weeds of the play. 415 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,639 Speaker 1: Did she plagiarize or not? Look, if she didn't cite 416 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: the work, I will say this. If she did not 417 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:55,159 Speaker 1: give citation, that is considered by definition plagiarism. Did she 418 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: deserve some grace and some mercy to understand that she's 419 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 1: probably done this like her her peers have done this. Yes? 420 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:09,640 Speaker 1: Did she need to step down? No? Has this happened before. Yes, 421 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,440 Speaker 1: Will other people be fired for their jobs? I e. 422 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,199 Speaker 1: This Acman guy, his wife? Will she be fired? No? 423 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 1: And so I don't want to sit here and say 424 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: that's just what it is, but damn it sure does 425 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: feel like that's just what it is. And I'm frustrated 426 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:34,240 Speaker 1: and I'm hurt, and I want I want Claudine to 427 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: be protected and I want her to do what she loves. 428 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 1: Could you imagine that Dan July, when she knew she 429 00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: was about to become the president of Harvard, the reaction 430 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 1: that her family had, that her friends had, how people 431 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: were so happy for her, How she was thinking, wow, wow, Wow, 432 00:28:52,120 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 1: can you believe it? And it upset the right. The 433 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 1: conservatives were like, no, thanks, we don't want it. She 434 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 1: doesn't represent what we think Harvard should be. No thanks, 435 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 1: we don't want it. She's not who we think she is. 436 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: No thanks, we don't want it. She's not antisemitic, we 437 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 1: know that, but it's too late. They have already decided. 438 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: They wanted her out the paint up, out the paint, 439 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 1: as the kids would say. And once that happens, there's 440 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 1: no walking it back. And so I ask you, is 441 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: it enough? Is our black excellence enough. I don't have 442 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 1: the damn answers don't I don't know. I don't want 443 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: to say no. I still believe in this country, believe 444 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 1: it or not. I still believe in the American dream 445 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: because in part I'm living it. I still I believe 446 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: we can be better here. But I don't I don't 447 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: know what black excellence does for us. If at the 448 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:16,880 Speaker 1: highest level of academics, I can't be protected if my resume, 449 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,680 Speaker 1: if Claudine Gay's resume and it's long, and it's extensive, 450 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 1: and her work is well documented and also well sourced 451 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 1: and also quite frankly deserved in the sense of she's 452 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 1: worked hard, she's done it all, she's done it all, 453 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:39,720 Speaker 1: and still we're questioning all the things, all of the 454 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: things that she has done. Her parents came here from Haiti, 455 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 1: and they knew that they wanted to live the American dream. 456 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 1: They worked really hard. They put her in the best schools. 457 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 1: They knew that she was going to be the pride 458 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: and joy of their family. Her mother was a nurse. 459 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: Her father was an engineer who worked for the US 460 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 1: Army Corps of Engineers. She conserved a smart family. She 461 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 1: attended a private Boarding Academy in Connecticut. She was brilliant. 462 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:24,160 Speaker 1: She went to a Princeton for a year before transferring 463 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:28,479 Speaker 1: to Stamford to get her bachelor's degree in economics. She 464 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:31,600 Speaker 1: received a prize for the best economic thesis in nineteen 465 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:36,960 Speaker 1: ninety two, which they're trying to question. Sharing a PhD 466 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:41,760 Speaker 1: in political science from Harvard in nineteen ninety eight, the 467 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 1: university gave her a prize for the best dissertation in 468 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:48,160 Speaker 1: political science. She worked as an assistant professor and later 469 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: a tenured professor at Stamford. Stamford, these are the best 470 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 1: institutions in the world, guys, before moving to Harvard as 471 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 1: a professor of government in two thousand and six and 472 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 1: then African American Studies in two thousand and seven. Twenty fifteen, 473 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:10,040 Speaker 1: she was named the Dean of Social Sciences at Harvard. 474 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: Hey hate you, guys. And then on July first of 475 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,960 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, she became the thirtieth president of Harvard, 476 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:27,600 Speaker 1: the first black president in its three hundred and eighty 477 00:32:27,640 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 1: eight year history until her resignation on January second, twenty 478 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: twenty four. And so along the way, they found some inconsistencies, 479 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 1: plagiarism they call it. Let me explain to you she 480 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:49,480 Speaker 1: ain't the only one plagiarizing. By their definition, which I 481 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:55,520 Speaker 1: right so astutely pointed out, is our black excellence enough. 482 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 1: My hope is that it is. 483 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 2: Every champion and every champion has to be a champiut 484 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 2: a champion and carry champion and carried chat, be out 485 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 2: a champion and carried champion and carried. 486 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,760 Speaker 1: Chat and entertainment. Getting nakee wird. 487 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 2: Arry champion and carry champion is to be a champion, 488 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 2: a champion, and carry champion. They shout a champion and 489 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 2: carry champion and carried chat entertainment, get naked word. 490 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:29,160 Speaker 1: I don't want to get anybody upset or fired up, 491 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 1: but I do want you to take action and be aware. 492 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 1: I don't want you to react. I just want you 493 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 1: to take action and be aware. We need more than 494 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: just excellence. We need to start being strategic. We need 495 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 1: to start playing the long game. But more importantly, we 496 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:46,600 Speaker 1: need to start protecting black women. Do we really do? 497 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:51,400 Speaker 1: We need to be loud about it. There is an 498 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:55,520 Speaker 1: attack on black women. I can go down the list 499 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: of people that I know in my business that have 500 00:33:57,160 --> 00:34:01,040 Speaker 1: been attacked and not there doing Thank you very much 501 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: Jamel Hill and go down a list, google her, see 502 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: what happened to her. She's fine and she's thriving because 503 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 1: she's black excellence. But what happened in real time was 504 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:17,600 Speaker 1: an attack from extremist on her character, on her temperament. 505 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:21,640 Speaker 1: They change the narrative of who she is, and it's 506 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:29,759 Speaker 1: just not true. A society just watched so frustrating. I 507 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:31,120 Speaker 1: didn't want to start the new year this way. I 508 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 1: told you I was gonna come on the podcast and 509 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:37,320 Speaker 1: talk about my New Year's resolutions. But I think my 510 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: new year's resolution is just to be more strategic, just 511 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:42,799 Speaker 1: to be more aware. I think that's something that all 512 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:46,720 Speaker 1: of us can do. And if you have a voice, 513 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: if you have an inclination to speak up, if you 514 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:55,120 Speaker 1: have a way to silently protest what's happening, I think 515 00:34:55,160 --> 00:34:56,800 Speaker 1: you should do that too. I'm not telling you to 516 00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: risk your livelihood because it's dangerous. I'm not saying risk 517 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: your livelihood, but I am saying you can't point out 518 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 1: right from wrong, common sense right from wrong. Clutting Gay 519 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 1: said it. She made some mistakes. She should have been 520 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 1: more clear about the attacks on October seventh. I agree 521 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,840 Speaker 1: with that. You have to be very clear where you stand. 522 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:23,240 Speaker 1: Don't leave any room for ambiguity. It was disgusting. Harmas 523 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:27,600 Speaker 1: is disgusting. But other than that, I don't know what 524 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:31,200 Speaker 1: else there is to do. If you're listening to this 525 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,439 Speaker 1: podcast and you feel as if you want to send 526 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 1: a message of support to Clouding Gay, I encourage you 527 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:40,840 Speaker 1: to do that. She said that she's been receiving death threats. 528 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 1: Her family's been receiving death threats, and she quite frankly 529 00:35:47,520 --> 00:35:50,480 Speaker 1: feared for their lives, which is why she stepped out. 530 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 1: She's hoping to keep her job as professor. She doesn't 531 00:35:55,160 --> 00:35:58,360 Speaker 1: know if she will be able to do so. But 532 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:03,040 Speaker 1: here we are talking about a storied institution and the 533 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:06,800 Speaker 1: very first black president, and it ends in six months 534 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:12,440 Speaker 1: with her being afraid that someone will try to harm 535 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 1: her and her family. I thought we were talking about education. 536 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:21,560 Speaker 1: This woman is getting death threats. He's a professor. What 537 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: is going on with the world. I appreciate y'all for listening. 538 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:33,439 Speaker 1: Next week we will have a guest. I'm gonna step 539 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:37,320 Speaker 1: off my pedestal here. I had to talk about that 540 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,120 Speaker 1: because it's frustrating and I don't know where else to 541 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:46,359 Speaker 1: put it. But with y'all. My black excellence is enough, 542 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,719 Speaker 1: but I don't know if it protects me. And I 543 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:51,719 Speaker 1: don't want you all to live under that delusion. Either. 544 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:54,920 Speaker 1: Being great at what you do does not guarantee that 545 00:36:54,960 --> 00:36:56,759 Speaker 1: you will be able to continue to do what you do. 546 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:01,040 Speaker 1: Being great at what you do does not mean that 547 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:04,360 Speaker 1: you will be able to always continue to work in 548 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:07,839 Speaker 1: that space, or with those people, or live the life 549 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 1: you think you deserve. I mean, it should work that way. 550 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:16,960 Speaker 1: That is the recipe for the American dream. Sometimes it 551 00:37:17,080 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 1: just doesn't work out that way, and that's unfortunate. I 552 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 1: want you guys to do a little homework, you know. 553 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:27,919 Speaker 1: I love to make sure that we're all well read. 554 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:29,880 Speaker 1: And I know everyone doesn't have time to read up 555 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 1: on this, and I tried to give a quick summary, 556 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:34,880 Speaker 1: and I hope I did my best. If there are 557 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:38,239 Speaker 1: things that I left out or perhaps some inaccuracies, it 558 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 1: was not intentional. It is my duty, I think, to 559 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:45,880 Speaker 1: share this information with you guys, and so that you 560 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:49,640 Speaker 1: can know what's going on in our world. And I'm 561 00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:52,959 Speaker 1: being completely naked about this because it really broke my heart. 562 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:55,600 Speaker 1: If they can do that to her, they can do 563 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:59,480 Speaker 1: that to anybody. This woman is the epitome of black excellence. 564 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:03,000 Speaker 1: And yes, she did make some mistake. She probably did 565 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:07,960 Speaker 1: not cite certain references in other peers as she should 566 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 1: have in some of her academic papers. But from my 567 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:14,800 Speaker 1: understanding and the research that I've done, that that's not uncommon. 568 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: And in the instances in which they believe she plagiarized, yes, 569 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 1: by definition it did happen. She should be held responsible. 570 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:26,600 Speaker 1: She should be held accountable for that. I agree. But 571 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:30,399 Speaker 1: this isn't about plagiarism. It really isn't. I just told 572 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 1: you one of the guys who was leading the charge 573 00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:34,040 Speaker 1: should get rid of her. His wife is a professor 574 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 1: at MIT. She too, accused of plagiarism. No one said 575 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:41,560 Speaker 1: anything about that. She's still working. That same very man 576 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:43,319 Speaker 1: is like, she should be fired. Are you saying your 577 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:46,760 Speaker 1: wife should be fired too? No? His response is quite simply, 578 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 1: you guys, I must have really upset you all because 579 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:55,520 Speaker 1: you guys are coming after us. Now what okay, new year, 580 00:38:55,600 --> 00:39:01,400 Speaker 1: same country. In closing, I will tell you this, Claudine 581 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:09,360 Speaker 1: Gay's commitment to education, I believe is beyond understanding for 582 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:11,799 Speaker 1: many of us, because at the end of her op 583 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:16,680 Speaker 1: ed she truly still believes that we can fight this 584 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:19,880 Speaker 1: battle on the academic front, the battle of inequity, the 585 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:27,520 Speaker 1: battle of changing this country, if you will. Inclosing, she writes, 586 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:32,640 Speaker 1: college campuses in our country must remain places where students 587 00:39:32,719 --> 00:39:37,280 Speaker 1: can learn, share and grow together, not spaces where proxy 588 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:42,760 Speaker 1: battles and political grand standing take root. Universities must remain 589 00:39:43,239 --> 00:39:48,760 Speaker 1: independent venues where courage and reason unite to advance truth, 590 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:54,440 Speaker 1: no matter what forces set against them. College campuses in 591 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:58,439 Speaker 1: our country must remain places where students can learn, share 592 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:02,759 Speaker 1: and grow together, spaces where proxy battles and political grandstanding 593 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:09,160 Speaker 1: take root. Universities must remain independent venues where courage and 594 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:15,200 Speaker 1: reason unite to advance truth, no matter what forces set 595 00:40:15,239 --> 00:40:22,080 Speaker 1: against them. Claudine Gay New York Times, I bed okay, 596 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:25,400 Speaker 1: thank you for listening to Nake It. We'll be back 597 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:25,879 Speaker 1: next week.