one of the things that& #39;s interesting about being part of a decentralized university is how divergent the messaging can be across different parts of campus.

here& #39;s the email that went out to Harvard College students today, which strikes a rather different tone from Bacow& #39;s pablum

a couple of things I find interesting about this
1a) as a friend pointed out, it& #39;s noteworthy the 2 best admin emails we& #39;ve seen have been from deans of color, and that unfortunately, it feels like deans of color have to compensate for their white colleagues& #39; inadequate attempts.

1b) it& #39;s both unfair that senior administrators of color seem to be the only ones up to the task of speaking honestly to and about this moment, & frustrating that the institution can absolve itself by pointing to emails like Gay& #39;s and Khurana& #39;s as proof of a commitment to equity.

2a) the difference in tone between Bacow& #39;s "I believe" and O& #39;Dair & Khurana& #39;s "we are outraged" is a fascinating case study in how Harvard talks differently to different audiences — sometimes projecting a social justice orientation internally, & a more conservative face outward.

2b) & we know why Harvard would do that — Bacow doesn& #39;t want to upset conservative alumni & donors or other powerful entities, because above all, Harvard cares about maintaining its proximity to power. & the way Harvard is responding just brings that fact into very sharp relief.