Latest news with #CrimsonCourage
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Harvard's Battle With Trump Reignites School Pride Among Alumni
Jessica Tang has two degrees from Harvard University but barely donated directly to the school in two decades as an alumnus. She's even publicly criticized Harvard's labor practices. But now, she's co-founder of Crimson Courage, a grassroots campaign trying to rally goodwill and money for Harvard's fight against the Trump administration. The group is drawing in graduates like Tang who have previously provided little to no financial support to the university as well as those who have taken issue with its handling of an array of recent controversies.
Straits Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Harvard's graduation day blends protests and pride
CAMBRIDGE - Harvard graduates gathered on May 29 for commencement rituals, surrounded by both beaming family members and visible reminders that the university is embroiled in an existential fight with the Trump administration. Before the ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts, about two dozen people stood in Harvard Square with signs protesting the government and its attacks on the university. In a separate protest about anti-Semitism, a truck passed outside the ceremony and displayed photos of people it labelled 'Harvard's Leading AntiSemites'. And throughout the morning, small groups of alumni stood at each gate to campus, handing out stickers that read 'Crimson Courage', the name of a new alumni group created to galvanize support for the university. Mr Mark Dyen, who graduated from Harvard in 1970, said that he has never been prouder to be an alumnus. 'Harvard stood up for itself, for us, for higher education and democracy,' he said as he passed out stickers. 'And by doing so, it created space for people who are more vulnerable.' The day of celebration came as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on the university, a broad campaign it has framed as an effort to curb antisemitism at the school. The government has withdrawn or frozen billions of dollars in federal funding, threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status and sought to block its ability to enrol international students. The university has forcefully resisted, calling the attacks a violation of academic freedom and the First Amendment. As the commencement exercises began in Cambridge on May 29 under cloudy skies, a federal judge a few miles away in Boston was preparing to hear arguments from lawyers for the university and the federal government. Harvard sued the Trump administration last week, for the second time, over its attempt to prohibit the enrolment of international students. A murmur rippled through the crowd at the commencement as the news spread that the judge would issue a preliminary injunction, preserving for the moment Harvard's ability to enroll international students. About 6,800 of its students come from other countries, more than one quarter of the total enrolment. Dr Alan Garber, Harvard's president, was met with thunderous applause from the crowd of about 30,000 when he began the commencement by welcoming 'students from around the world, just as it should be'. It was a remarkable shift from last year's graduation, when Dr Garber was booed by students critical of Harvard's response to campus protests over the war in the Gaza Strip. The university withheld the diplomas of 13 graduating seniors who had protested and been disciplined. On May 29, the main commencement speaker, Dr Abraham Verghese, also acknowledged the current crisis, assuring graduates that 'no recent events can diminish what you have accomplished here', and reminding them that 'more people than you realize are grateful to Harvard for the example you have set'. Before the ceremony on May 29, about half a dozen family members of graduates, most visiting from other countries, declined to speak with a reporter, saying that they feared retribution from the Trump administration. One, an Indian actor from Mumbai who said he was celebrating his cousin's graduation, shook his head sadly when asked about the attacks on Harvard. To some, the commencement traditions felt like reassurance that the university's mission would endure. 'Harvard trains people who want to change the world, to make the world a better place,' said Mr Kwabena Fosu, who travelled from Ghana to watch his wife receive a master's degree in public administration. 'That's what they came here to do, and that's what they will continue to do.' Outside the campus gates, Ms Casey Wenz, a Cambridge resident, stood in Harvard Square with a large sign that read, 'Harvard Thank You for Your Courage.' She said she lived a few blocks away and had many friends at the university who were professors and international students. 'I think it takes tremendous courage to stand up to Trump, and if Harvard's not going to do it, who would?' she said. 'I'm just super grateful.' NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New York Times
29-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Harvard's Graduation Day Blends Protests and Pride
As Harvard graduates gathered on Thursday to embrace commencement rituals in Harvard Yard, they were surrounded by both beaming parents and visible reminders that the university is embroiled in an existential fight with the Trump administration. Before the ceremony, about two dozen people gathered in Harvard Square with signs protesting the government and its attacks on the university. In a separate protest, targeting campus antisemitism, a truck passed near the ceremony and displayed photos of individuals labeled 'Harvard's Leading AntiSemites.' And throughout the morning, small groups of alumni stood at each gate to campus, handing out stickers that read 'Crimson Courage,' the name of a new alumni group created to galvanize support for the university. Mark Dyen, who graduated from Harvard in 1970, said that he has never been prouder to be an alumnus. 'Harvard stood up for itself, for us, for higher education and democracy,' he said as he passed out stickers. 'And by doing so, it created space for people who are more vulnerable.' The day of celebration came as the Trump administration continues its attempts to crack down on the university, a broad campaign it has framed as an effort to curb antisemitism at the school. The government has already withdrawn or frozen billions of dollars in federal funding, threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status and sought to block its ability to enroll international students. The university has forcefully resisted, calling the attacks a violation of academic freedom and the First Amendment. At graduation on Thursday, about half a dozen family members of graduates, most visiting from other countries, declined to give their names to a reporter, saying that they feared retribution from the Trump administration. One, an Indian actor from Mumbai who said he was celebrating his cousin's graduation, shook his head sadly when asked about the attacks on Harvard. To some, the ceremonies felt like reassurance that the university's mission would endure. 'Harvard trains people who wants to change the world, to make the world a better place,' said Kwabena Fosu, who traveled from Ghana to watch his wife receive a master's degree in public administration. 'That's what they came here to do, and that's what they will continue to do.' Outside the commencement, Casey Wenz, a Cambridge resident, stood in Harvard Square with a large sign that read, 'Harvard Thank You for Your Courage.' She said she lives a few blocks from campus and has many friends at the university who are professors and international students. 'I think it takes tremendous courage to stand up to Trump, and if Harvard's not going to do it, who would?' she said. 'I'm just super grateful.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Worth fighting for': Community members, fellow students rally to Harvard's cause
As Harvard University undergraduate seniors donned their robes and caps in the warm blue skies on Tuesday, many didn't go off to celebrate with their families. Instead, they joined a rally of over a hundred students, faculty and Massachusetts residents organizing against the Trump administration's attacks on Harvard and its international students. The rally was in response to the federal government revoking a key certification that allows Harvard to enroll international students. Harvard subsequently sued and asked for a temporary restraining order, which a federal judge allowed. 'The most recent move in President Trump's attempt to exercise full control over our university is an anti-American threat to our core values of free speech, academic freedom and education,' said Nuriel Vera-DeGraff, a Harvard student. 'We stand here today to affirm that international students are our peers, our classmates and our friends — and not our enemies,' he said. Read more: 'Devastating impact': Trump's attacks on Harvard could cost Mass. millions, Healey warns The rally began with Emil Massad, a graduating senior, playing Bella Ciao, a song of resistance, he said. Between almost every word of a speaker, the crowd shouted 'shame,' pointing to the actions they deem wrongful from the federal administration. Read more: Harvard foreign students feel like 'poker chips,' consider transfer after Trump attacks The rally occurred the same day that the Trump administration directed federal agencies to cut off existing contracts with Harvard or transfer them to other vendors. Also on Tuesday, Crimson Courage, a community of Harvard alumni whose mission is to stand up for academic freedom, organized an online discussion and press conference with speakers like Gov. Maura Healey in attendance. Throughout each event, Crimson Courage urged alumni to donate to the institution and to sign on to a legal document in support of Harvard's second lawsuit against the Trump administration focused on international students. The group is also aiming to have other higher education institutions create an alumni group similar to Crimson Courage. Harvard has been in a battle with the federal government since April. There has been a wave of federal research grant terminations at Harvard University, in addition to a $60 million in multi-year grants,$450 million cut and a $2.2 billion freeze. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has also told the institution that the federal government would be barring Harvard University from acquiring new federal grants while the university continues to refuse to comply with the administration's demands for change on its campus. Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon that they share the same 'common ground,' but the university 'will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear.' Garber pushed back on the administration through a lawsuit in April. The institution argues that its constitutional rights had been violated by the government's threats to pull billions of dollars in funding if the school didn't comply with demands for an the $450 million announced cuts, the university amended its lawsuit. 'No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,' the suit reads. Due to the federal cuts, Harvard announced that it was committing $250 million of 'central funding' to support research impacted by suspended and canceled federal grants. Jacob Miller, a graduating senior who was the president of Harvard Hillel in 2023, spoke to his great-grandmother, who was expelled from the University of Vienna because she was a Jew. 'I stand here before you today at the top university in the world today, watching my peers face removal because of their nationality,' he said. 'If there is anything to learn from this Jewish history, it's that when we push people out of our schools because of their identity, it's a symptom of a morally bankrupt politics,' he said. While he said Harvard has issues with antisemitism, the federal administration's claims that it is going after Harvard due to that is 'absurd.' Harvard Government Professor Ryan Enos also spoke to the fight against Harvard being about something larger. He said the attack on Harvard is an attack on democracy and the rule of law. Enos called Trump's actions an 'authoritarian takeover.' 'Each and every one of you is worth fighting for. You each earned your place at Harvard, but we have to understand that this is not just a fight for international students and is not just a fight for Harvard, and it's certainly not a fight over politics. It's not a fight between Democrats and Republicans,' he said. 'This is a fight for democracy and for the rule of law. These are the principles that unite us. We are not here to protect our diplomas or to protect Harvard's endowment. We are here because of an idea in America represented by all of you. That is worth fighting for,' he said. Harvard first-year students Rachele Chung and Oprah Nkera said they showed up to the rally because their friends who are international didn't feel safe doing so. They said there has been a 'tension' on campus since they started due to the Trump administration's attacks on the institution and their friends are in a constant state of confusion and fear about whether to leave the U.S. or stay. The federal government has shown that there 'will be consequences' such as visa or student status revocation if anyone disagrees or goes against the Trump administration, Chung said. The rally wasn't just Harvard students and faculty. Community members of all ages, even those who couldn't stand throughout the entire rally, showed up in droves and even students from Northeastern University came to show their support. AB Boudreau, a second-year student at Northeastern, said they haven't ever been to a rally at Harvard but felt it was necessary to show up because classrooms are better with a diversity of perspectives. Boudreau, who uses they/them pronouns, said Northeastern has a large international population and they are looking for more ways to connect with other university organizers about the issue. Harvard alumni have also been organizing their support for the institution through Crimson Courage. During an online discussion on Tuesday evening following the rally, Cambridge City Councilor Patty Nolan said there has been a 'seismic shift' in support for Harvard. She said Harvard is the largest employer in Cambridge 'by far' and that not only alumni but residents and former critics are standing with the institution. 'Does it need improvements? Yes. We need to ask it to be better, not by taking it over, but by holding it to high standards and supporting its work to genuinely embrace inquiry, support all students from around the world. And affirm the primacy of the rule of law,' she said. 'The petty demands and capricious punishment from the federal administration is putting more than Harvard at risk. Our economy and values are at risk,' she said. Harvard professor John Quakenbush said during the online discussion that his research has lost nearly $1 million in funding at Harvard and early career scientists on his team are having to decide whether to leave academic science or pursue it out of the country. 'The Massachusetts economy is also going to feel the effects through lost research spending and the ripple effects on local businesses,' he said. 'If we truly want to make America healthy. If we want to make America great. I can tell you that this is the wrong path,' he said. During the rally, Clyve Lawrence, a Harvard student, said that organizing and demonstrating outrage as a community is integral for Harvard to continue taking steps that push against the federal government. 'History doesn't remember those who sat quietly while democracy was dismantled. They remembered us. The ones who organized the risk takers, the ones who stood up when it mattered most, we are those people. We are that moment and our power is just beginning,' Lawrence said. 'Devastating impact': Trump's attacks on Harvard could cost Mass. millions, Healey warns Celebrated Harvard professor accused of data fraud loses tenure — and her job Beyond students: Trump attacks on Harvard could affect thousands of workers How a college closing disaster led to new student protections in Mass. Here's everything Trump has stripped from Harvard so far — and what is threatened Read the original article on MassLive.
Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘This is about more than Harvard': Healey tells alumni as university faces down Trump
On Tuesday night, a group of Harvard alumni held a pair of virtual events to discuss the impact of the administration's actions on academic freedom, research, students, and employees of the Ivy League university. Crimson Courage, which describes itself as 'a nonpartisan community of Harvard alumni,' encouraged alumni to sign onto an amicus brief in ongoing litigation spearheaded by Harvard against the Trump administration. The brief 'supports the academic freedom and integrity of Harvard and higher education institutions across America—all of which must be able to educate students consistent with their missions and values, free from political interference." Advertisement The brief, according to organizers, will be filed in a legal case where Harvard argues the government's use of research funding cuts as leverage to exert control over its affairs is an abuse of federal power. Healey, in her comments to alumni, said Trump's moves against the university is undercutting American competitiveness and damaging the local and national economy. Harvard, she said, is the fourth largest employer in Massachusetts, and its international students alone contribute $400 million to the local economy annually. Advertisement 'What is really going on right now is Donald Trump is trying to tell Harvard University who can get in, who can teach, what they can teach and that's just antithetical to what we stood for in this country,' said Healey, who graduated Harvard in 1992. She added, 'If they're going to do it to Harvard, they can do it to anyone and everyone.' Before the webinar, Crimson Courage held a news conference during which Harvard professors detailed how the Trump administration's actions would harm important research into problems like cancer. Nana Safo-Mensa, student president of Phillips Brooks House Association, a campus organization dedicated to community service, said the Trump administration 'wants an Orwellian future.' 'Where no one is allowed to think, no is allowed to read, and no one has the intellectual autonomy to do anything besides the government's agenda.' he said. Anurima Bhargava, lead attorney for the alumni amicus brief, said Trump's moves 'strike at the very core of what it is that Harvard does.' 'We are in a moment that it is an escalating war and campaign against Harvard with the end goal being to destroy much of what Harvard has been able to stand for,' she said. Patricia M. Nolan, a Harvard alum who currently serves as a Cambridge city councilor, said 'one cannot underestimate the way that higher education supports our cities and enriches our lives.' 'Destroying Harvard, from what we've seen, is a fundamentally anti-American, anti-free enterprise move,' she said. 'It's deeply. It's counterproductive. It's destructive.' Shelley Murphy, Mike Damiano, and Hilary Burns of Globe staff contributed. Advertisement Danny McDonald can be reached at
