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

[Carl G. Estabrook]

Why not challenge the "mealy-mouthedness" of the University of Michigan directly, and demand that the director of the Center for the Education for Women fulfill her promise "to co-sponsor a future lecture by Ms. Walker that 'would be focused on a more substantial discussion of human-rights issues'" - a discussion that would not rest entirely on the views of a David Icke disciple? That might not so easily be ridiculed and dismissed. 


On Aug 16, 2013, at 1:25 PM, Robert Naiman <naiman at justforeignpolicy.org> wrote:

> 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
>>