Civility, One Chair to Another

Jean O’Brien, professor of history and chair of the American Indian Studies department at the University of Minnesota, sent an email to Chris Kennedy, chair of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and son of Bobby Kennedy, about the Salaita affair.

I reproduce the exchange here, unedited.

———- Forwarded message ———-

From: Chris Kennedy

Date: Sun, Sep 7, 2014 at 3:27 PM

Subject: Re: Steven Salaita

To: Jean O’Brien

You were not brief enough

Christopher G. Kennedy

E – chris@nbandw.com / chris@northbankandwells.com

O – (312) 527-7503

C – [REDACTED]

————

On Sep 7, 2014, at 2:37 PM, “Jean O’Brien” 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

Civility, one chair to another.

This is not the response of a highly professional administration in control of itself. This is the bitter voice mail of a peevish lover drunk-dialing in the middle of the night.

As I’ve been saying, the leadership of the University of Illinois is unraveling.

Update (9:50 am)

Henry Farrell emails Chris Kennedy this morning:

I understand you like brief emails so just one sentence – you have a chance to mitigate the terrible damage that is being done to your university’s academic reputation, and I respectfully suggest you take it.