University of Illinois Bigwig to Native American Studies scholar Jean O’Brien: Drop Dead
OK, University of Illinois Board of Trustees chair Chris Kennedy did not exactly say that to University of Minnesota Native American Studies scholar Jean O’Brien, who had written to express her distress over the Steven Salaita #HireFire.
But Gerald Ford didn’t say “drop dead” to New York City either, and it made an awesome headline as one of the cultural and financial capitals of the world was skidding into bankruptcy in the spring of 1975. Didn’t it? In fact, all Ford was trying to do was sacrifice the health and welfare of a major American city in order to send a not-so-subtle message to the conservative wing of his part that he wasn’t a panty-waist Rockefeller Republican.
Christopher Kennedy might want to think about what this colossal error in judgment is costing him....
Here’s the exchange between Kennedy and O’Brien from Sunday, September 7. You can read it from the top down or the bottom up, depending on your politics:
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Chris Kennedy <chris@northbankandwells.com>
Date: Sun, Sep 7, 2014 at 3:27 PM
Subject: Re: Steven Salaita
To: Jean O’Brien <obrie002@umn.edu>You were not brief enough
Christopher G. Kennedy
E – chris@nbandw.com / chris@northbankandwells.com
[OFFICE NUMBER REDACTED BY TENURED RADICAL]
[CELL PHONE NUMBER REDACTED BY TENURED RADICAL]
————
On Sep 7, 2014, at 2:37 PM, “Jean O’Brien” <obrie002@umn.edu> wrote:Dear Trustee Kennedy:
I will be brief: please reverse your cowardly decision to “un-hire” Steven Salaita in the name of justice, humanity, civility, and in defense of academic freedom. Your actions have already damaged your great University so deeply that it is difficult to imagine reversing that damage, but this would be one small step. The world is watching. If you take seriously your capacity as a trustee, then please act in compliance with the expectation such a position demands of you.
On a personal note, several years ago, I was offered the position of Director of Native American Studies at Illinois that Robert Warrior now performs so ably. The actions of the University demonstrate in no uncertain terms that I never made a better decision than to turn that offer down. I only hope that the stellar program he has painstakingly built will not be completely undone.
Jean O’Brien
Professor, Department of History
Chair, Department of American Indian Studies
University of Minnesota
Co-Founder, Native American and Indigenous Studies Association
Co-Editor (with Robert Warrior) of Native American and Indigenous Studies