Renowned scholar and professor of philosophy at The Harvard Divinity School, Cornel West is making good on his threat to leave the university over a dispute regarding his tenure. Recently, West called out the Ivy League university for failing to give him tenure. West announced his decision on Monday via Twitter.
West, who posted an interview with Boycott Times along with his announcement, told the publication, he would be leaving Harvard for a position at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He told interviewer Mordecai Lyon he felt as though Harvard didn’t value him and his talents as they should have.
West told Lyon, “I discovered that I can only take so much hypocrisy. I can only take so much dishonesty. I can only take so much pettiness in terms of ways in which I thought I was disrespected and devalued.”
West is on his second term at Harvard having left in a tenure-track position in 2002, he returned in 2017 in a non-tenure-track role. However, when West asked for tenure last month and was denied, he took it as a sign of “disrespect” telling the Boston Globe, he would rather leave than to remain without it.
“It is once again this issue of just not putting up with being disrespected,” “But I wasn’t raised to put up with being disrespected or tolerate disrespect. I don’t try to negotiate respect.”
Union Theological Seminary, which counts Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock among its alumni, is pleased to have West return. West had his first job there at age 23.
Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary, said in a statement, “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. West back home to Union where he started his teaching career, at this time of momentous challenge — and opportunity, and especially as the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor.
“Dr. West lives and breathes the values that Union aims to instill in all of the future leaders, scholars, ministers, and activists we educate. His esteemed legacy of engaging the most pressing problems facing our world — including racism, poverty, sexism, and so much more — is an inspiration to all, and illustrates the power of faith to create profound change.”
West sees the change as a sort of homegoing a vast difference from what he experienced at Harvard.
“For me, it’s a going back home so I don’t have to be worked like a mule but underpaid and undervalued at Harvard. Those days are over.”
