Too Radical for Harvard? Cornel West on Failed Fight for Tenure, Biden's First 50 Days & More

The prominent scholar and activist Cornel West has announced he is leaving Harvard Divinity School after he was denied consideration for tenure, and will rejoin the faculty of Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where he started his teaching career more than 40 years ago. West had left Harvard once before in 2002 and returned to a nontenured position at Harvard in 2017. The news about the denial of West's request for tenure has led to an outpouring of support and incited conversation about diversity in academia. There's too much Harvard dishonesty, too much Harvard hypocrisy, in terms of mistreating too many Black folk at high levels," says West, who suggests his political activism and vocal support of Palestinian rights likely played a part in Harvard's decision. The most taboo issue on U.S. campuses these days, in many instances, has to do with the vicious Israeli occupation of precious Palestinians." West also discusses Joe Biden's first 50 days as president and says that while there is some good news on domestic policy, he's not too encouraged" on Biden's foreign policy.