Sixty to seventy concerned students and community members delivered a letter to Bob Snyder, Provost of Academic Affairs at Humboldt State University. The letter expresses support for the reappointment of Dr. Manuel "Manolo" Callahan to a sixth year in the Ethnic Studies program at HSU. Supporters of Callahan believe his reappointment is in jeopardy because of political considerations. An email from activists says:
"We believe that due to his political work, inherent in the engaging, creative and challenging ways he teaches Ethnic Studies, Manolo is being racially and politically profiled. Manolo consistently provides support, insight, and empowerment to students of color and other marginalized community. He is a source of significant resources and inspiration, playing an important role as mentor, strategist, and comrade. He is active and inspiring both on campus and in the larger community, facilitating seminars and events for a wide range of groups to learn, connect, share, and actualize our collective strengths.
His political and community engagement on and off campus transcend "classroom teaching" reinforcing local, state, national, and transnational struggles for dignity. While HSU espouses "community service" Manolo's community activities – because they at times critique the role of HSU in perpetuating physical as well as symbolic violence - has been unjustly treated by some of his colleagues and administrators at HSU as a threat. Because of this, the HSU administration tries to undermine Manolo's authority as a scholar on race.
We will not remain silent about this bureaucratic attack that threatens Manolo's future and the critical work he does in our communities."
1 comment:
Unfortunately, even though the cause was great (as Prof. Callahan is worth the cause, indeed), we basically got the brush off and were told that nothing that we were doing was to be taken into consideration as our letter and protest attempts were "not in the personnel file, and that's what I have to go by." Those were Provost Snyder's words to us. I have it under direct authority that there is a strong chance that our attempts were in vain...
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