[Peace-discuss] University of Michigan: Reverse decision to disinvite Alice Walker

[Robert Naiman]

Here's what Walker's agent wrote to her, according to the note she posted
on her blog, as reported by Electronic Intifada:

[...]

I’m saddened to write this because I’m a proponent of free speech and have
been brought up to allow everyone to have their say. But I also realize
that there are other considerations that institutions are faced with. *This
afternoon I was contacted by the University of Michigan instructing me to
withdraw their invitation due to the removal of funding from the donors,
because of their interpretation of Ms. Walker’s comments regarding
Israel.* They
are not willing to fund this program and the university/Women’s center do
not have the resources to finance this on their own. They are deeply
regretful but I wanted to let you know immediately either way. I hope you
can appreciate the fact that I’m uncomfortable even having to send this
email in the first place. Hopefully we can work together again down the
road. Thanks for understanding. I wish things had turned out differently.

[...]

http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/alice-walker-disinvited-university-michigan-over-israel-comments

Now, of course, that's not proof that that's actually what happened. It
could be the case that there was a misunderstanding, as Gloria Thomas,
director of the Center for the Education of Women, now claims.

But where does plausibility lie? Gloria Thomas doesn't explain what the
misunderstanding was. She just says, "The [Walker’s] blog was a result of
an unfortunate misunderstanding. As director of the Center for the
Education of Women (CEW), I decided to withdraw our invitation because I
didn’t think Ms. Walker would be our optimum choice for our 50th
anniversary."

What conversation could the agent have "misunderstood" that would have led
the agent to write: "This afternoon I was contacted by the University of
Michigan instructing me to withdraw their invitation due to the removal of
funding from the donors, because of their interpretation of Ms. Walker’s
comments regarding Israel. They are not willing to fund this program and
the university/Women’s center do not have the resources to finance this on
their own."?

At the very least, the University owes the public an explanation beyond,
"The [Walker’s] blog was a result of an unfortunate misunderstanding. As
director of the Center for the Education of Women (CEW), I decided to
withdraw our invitation because I didn’t think Ms. Walker would be our
optimum choice for our 50th anniversary," when it has been credibly alleged
that the invitation was withdrawn due to a threat to withdraw funding
because of Walker's criticism of the Israeli government.

Incidentally, if you look at Alice Walker's public speeches, the idea that
she's running around looking for opportunities to say crazy things in
public is pretty absurd. She's moderate in her tone. This appears to be
punishment for dissent.







On Fri, Aug 16, 2013 at 11:59 AM, Carl G. Estabrook
<galliher at illinois.edu>wrote:

> ~ Here's what the UM said about the cancelation:
>
> 'In an apology on the [UM Center for the Education for Women] Web site,
> the director, Gloria D.Thomas, said she had withdrawn the invitation
> “because I did not think Ms. Walker would be the optimum choice for the
> celebratory nature of our 50th-anniversary event.” She said she hoped the
> center would be able to co-sponsor a future lecture by Ms. Walker that
> “would be focused on a more substantial discussion of human-rights issues.”'
>
> ~ And here's (part of?) the reason why (from a comment on The Chronicle of
> Higher Education):
>
> "This whole problem is a result of mealy mouthedness on the part of the
> University of Michigan, perpetuated by CHE. Earlier this year,  Ms. Walker
> on BBC radio and then on her blog revealed that she believes
> blue-eyed white people are reptilian space aliens sent to enslave the rest
> of the earth's population (space aliens of a different species, by the
> way). The moon is a vast mind-control device. No, I'm not making this up.
>
> 'Facing the probability of ridicule, and the possibility Ms. Walker might
> take the opportunity of her visit to expand on these theories, Michigan
> cancelled. Their mistake was not to make it clear why they cancelled,
> which could have been done delicately but unequivocally, perhaps with a
> pious wish that Ms. Walker recovers speedily and fully..."
>
> ~ Source: <
> http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/prizewinning-author-alice-walker-gives-support-to-david-icke-on-desert-island-discs-8622648.html
> >.
>
> --CGE
>
>
> On Aug 16, 2013, at 11:38 AM, Robert Naiman <naiman at justforeignpolicy.org>
> wrote:
>
>
> "We urge you to reverse the decision to disinvite celebrated novelist
> Alice Walker from speaking at the University of Michigan. This
> ill-considered decision was a blow against academic freedom and free
> speech. If the decision is not reversed, the University of Michigan's
> reputation as an upholder of academic values will be tarnished."
>
> http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/university-of-michigan?source=c.url&r_by=1135580
>
>
> --
> Robert Naiman
> Policy Director
> Just Foreign Policy
> www.justforeignpolicy.org
> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Peace-discuss mailing list
> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss
>
>
>


-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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