On May 1st the U.S. House passed legislation adopting a highly contested and broad definition of antisemitism that defines criticism of Israel or Zionism as antisemitic--legislation that holds important implications for what can be taught and what forms of speech or scholarship falls under the rules of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Presidents of universities and superintendents of public schools continue to be called before congressional hearings to explain how they are managing what some politicians describe as rampant antisemitism on campuses. Jan Haaken talks with Jennifer Ruth, a professor at Portland State University who has published extensively on academic freedom and free speech issues. They talk about the McCarthyite dynamics of these hearings, the history of what some scholars term the Palestine Exception to academic freedom, and how students and faculty are organizing in response.
Jan and Jennifer spoke on related topics on the Old Mole in December.
The music at the end of this segment is drawn from Macklemore's Hind's Hall, which alludes to the building Columbia U protesters renamed for Hind Rajab.
Image: "Free Speech" by mellowbox is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image description: graphic of a radio tower emitting lightning bolts that say "free speech" and gripped by a giant hand; text at bottom: "Take it Back!"
- KBOO