Former president Barack Obama called on American universities to "stand up" against perceived threats to academic freedom posed by the Trump administration during a speech at Hamilton College on Thursday.
On the same day, the federal government announced plans to freeze $510 million in grants to Brown University due to concerns over increased antisemitism and pro-Hamas sentiments on campus.
In his speech, Obama encouraged students and staff to reflect on their conduct and approach to handling hate speech. He urged universities to ask themselves, “Are we, in fact, doing things right? Have we violated our own values, our own code? Have we violated the law in any way?”
“If not, and you’re just being intimidated, you should be able to say: ‘Look, that’s why we have this large endowment- we’ll stand up for what we believe in.'"
Obama also strongly defended First Amendment rights, emphasizing that the biggest advocates for social justice, free speech, and equality often fail to practice these values themselves. “We believe in freedom of speech, but do we stand up for it when someone says things that infuriate us, that are wrong or hurtful? Do we still believe in it?” he asked.
“Let me tell you, you will encounter people who don’t like you and who will say mean things about you. You’d better get used to it. Don’t sit in a classroom thinking, ‘I can’t be triggered,’” he added.
“The idea of cancelling a speaker who comes to your campus, trying to shout them down and not letting them speak, even if I find their ideas obnoxious, well, not only is that not what universities should be about, that’s not what America should be about. You let them speak, and then you tell them why they’re wrong. That’s how you win the argument.”
Federal government clashes with universities
Brown University is the latest institution to face potential action from the federal government. Last month, 60 universities received a notice from the US Education Department warning that their funding was at risk if they failed to address antisemitism on campus. Incidents concerning the physical intimidation of Jews and antisemitic hate speech are frequently reported at these institutions.
Among the universities facing these threats are Harvard University, which stands to lose $9 billion in federal contracts and grants, and Columbia University, which had $400m. in federal funding revoked last month. On Tuesday, Princeton University reported that several dozen of its research grants had also been frozen.
A Call to action for citizens
In addition to urging universities to defend academic freedom, Obama also encouraged American citizens to take individual action. “The most important office in this democracy is the citizen,” he said. “The ordinary person who says, ‘No, that’s not right.’”
“For most of human history - and still today in many parts of the world - challenging those in power comes at a cost, particularly if they are abusing that power,” he added. “We’re at a moment where it’s not enough to simply say you’re for something. You may actually have to do something and possibly sacrifice a little.”
“Who are we as a country, and what values do we stand for?” he asked. “It’s up to all of us to fix this.”