Academics Have a Responsibility to Speak Out Against Palestinian Repression
This article was originally published on the Truthout.org website.
By Alan Singer
In times of crisis, academics must be public intellectuals. Why invest our lives in becoming experts in history, society, policy, science, or any other field of study and then remain isolated in an academic cocoon for safety or career advancement? The consequences of silence for our profession and our society are too great.
Recent events on college campuses have made it clear that academic freedom in the classroom is not safe if the public role of academics is unsafe. During the summer, while most faculty and students were off campus, university administrators across the country, without any faculty input, enacted new regulations to silence dissent on campus. Actions by both students and faculty will be sharply restricted. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing Indiana University over newly imposed time restrictions on political expression. The ACLU suit argues that the rules prohibit people from talking about politics to a friend or standing silently with a sign during restricted times.
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Alan Singer is a historian and teacher educator at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York. His most recent books are Social Studies for Secondary Schools, 5th edition (Routledge, 2024) and Class-Conscious Coal Miners (SUNY Press, 2024). Blogs, tweets, essays, interviews, and e-blasts present his views and not those of Hofstra University.