Steve Kerr Defends Academic Freedom

An example for us all.

I have written previously here about how I sometimes hesitate to use the framing of “academic freedom” as the thing we are indeed defending because - for a lot of reasons, a few legitimate, but most of them not - the term has come to represent a form of privilege for the select few, but the truth is, academic freedom is an idea and a set of values that is meant to protect the rights of individuals and the strength of independent institutions. This is why we defend it as both a principle and a practice.

Chicago Bulls legend (and also Golden State Warriors coach) Steve Kerr gets it.

"I believe in academic freedom. I think it's crucial for all of our institutions to handle our own business the way they want to and they should not be shaken down and told what to teach, what to say by our government. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. But it's kind of par for the course right now, so yes this is me supporting Harvard. Way to go, way to stand up to the bully."

This is not a new or surprising stance from Kerr. He is the child of academics, whose father, Malcolm Kerr was assassinated in 1984, (Steve Kerr’s freshman year of college), when he was president of the American University of Beirut. He understands better than most the potential cost of a commitment to these principles.

There are not a lot of silver linings to go with the current Trump administration assault on the freedom and independence of higher education institutions, but what we have seen in the last 48 hours or so with the spirited and clear defiance of Harvard University, and public statements like Steve Kerr’s, is that the true stakes and unconscionable threats coming from the federal executive must be and can be resisted.

The views expressed in this newsletter are those of individual contributors and not those of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) or the AAUP’s Center for the Defense of Academic Freedom.