Harvard’s Dr. Claudine Gay: Misogynoir on Full Display
Dr. Claudine Gay testifies at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on December 5, 2023 (Photo Cred: Associated Press).
Harvard University President has "stepped down" from her position after growing concern about her ability to respond to rising tensions on campus over the Israel-Gaza war, antisemitism. She’s also accused of plagiarism in her academic work.
It's no surprise she is the shortest-lived President in the University's history.
When you're a Black woman, you have to work twice as hard to prove yourself.
The scrutiny on your work performance can be too much.
I am sure it got to be too much being only the university’s first Black leader and only the second woman to hold this position.
And when we don't meet expectations or complaints arise and there's external pressure, we are easily expendable.
We are hyper visible and the expectations for us are higher. They just are.
We have to be flawless. We cannot err. And if we do, we are not supported in the same way.
Here is the timeline:
Dr. Gay took the job on July 1st, 2023.
After the October 7th, Hamas attack, Dr. Gay openly responded to the rising antisemitism on campus in public statements and video. But it was not enough.
By October 24th, Harvard received an inquiry from the New York Post about “anonymous allegations of plagiarism in her work.”
On October 27th an advisory group was assembled to “help her” develop a robust strategy for confronting antisemitism on campus.”
On December 5th, Dr. Gay testifies at a congressional hearing that was convened to address the issues of bias against Jewish students. She wavered in support of free speech and did not say that calling for the genocide of Jews would violate Harvard’s rules of bullying and harassment. She said instead that “Antisemitic rhetoric, when it crosses into conduct that amounts to bullying, harassment, intimidation, that is actionable conduct and we do take action.”
She seemingly had Harvard's "full support" on December 12th after the congressional hearing when their governing board decided that she would keep her job... but did she really?
By December 8th, heavy criticism of her responses at the hearing, had already been pouring in which forced Dr. Gay to issue an apology.
And as Ibram Kendi, anti-racist activist, tweeted “racist mobs won’t stop until they topple all Black people from positions of power and influence who are not reinforcing the structure of racism.”
She was toppled January 2nd, 2024, when she formally resigned facing additional rounds of accusations of plagiarism in her scholarly work. I suspect she was toppled emotionally weeks before.
Was she the company pet for a while until the going got tough?
To me, she's meeting the same "pet-to-threat" pattern that so many of us do.
That concept coined by Kecia M. Thomas that notes the subtle shift in Black Women's workplace treatment and is a huge obstacle in our career progression.
It's part of a systemic problem and a HUGE reason for the visible workplace inequities we see in senior leadership in corporations of all types and sizes. It's also a huge reason for the pay gap for Black women in the workplace.
When we are initially brought into the workplace many consider us “diversity hires,” workers brought in to fill some sort of quota. Our qualifications questioned. We are often “the only” Black woman in leadership making us the token Black woman at work – those who are not expected to adhere to the negative stereotypes about Black people but who are still Black enough for others to mention for the sake of diversity.
But, are we truly welcome?
Misogynoir is hatred, dislike, distrust and prejudice directed toward Black women. It is a concept coined by Dr. Moya Bailey to explain the intersection of being both Black and a woman and the racism and sexism directed at us that creates a unique mode of oppression. Its presence in the workplace highlights the systemic and attitudinal barriers to our success.
In North American politics, we saw this first with Celina Caesar-Chavannes, the former Liberal MP, who gave a candid account of the marginalization and tokenism she experienced in Justin Trudeau’s government. She described having only been used for her Blackness and being spoken to as a child and as property by the Prime Minister of Canada before her resignation.
Next, we saw this with Kamala Harris the first Black & South Asian Vice President of the United States. In 2020, a Time’s Up Now report found pervasive sexism and racism in media coverage of Harris with the “Angry Black Woman” stereotype used the most.
Then with Annamie Paul, the first Black, female, leader of a federally recognized political party, the Green Party, who says the attempt to force her out of politics was driven by both racism and sexism that left her feeling like she was coughing up blood trying to push through a glass ceiling.
We saw it after President Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States when stories emerged about here having to “survive” brutal questioning.
Pictured here from left to right: Celina Caesar Chavannes, Annamie Paul, VP Kamala Harris, and Judge Kitanji Brown Jackson.
And now we see it with Dr. Claudine Gay who faced a mob of bullies and resigned under extreme duress.
It is all so familiar.
We succeed, then our achievement is undervalued or questioned – how did we get where we are? Why do we hold the positions we have? What gives us the right to lead?
For Black women at work, the scrutiny invariably intensifies. Our mistakes are magnified. We are often set up for failure and lack clear expectations and true support when the going gets tough and our competence is questioned. Sometimes we are purposely maligned.
And then the going gets brutal as pressure mounts to oust us.
We struggle to keep our jobs. But, invariably we are overpowered and forced to move on.
Black excellence, Black success, and then the reminder to get back in our place.
I can imagine the pressure put on Harvard leadership to sever ties from Dr. Gay. The conversations that have taken place about her (around her, to her, without her). It all hurts to much.
You see excellence is expected for Black women at work. But then we are picked apart—how dare we be excellent? And once our humanity is found, it is exploited as an imperfection, an inability to lead.
I can also imagine the “I told you sos” from those whose confirmation bias assures them a Black woman was never meant to lead at Harvard or any where.
Whiteness wins again and a status quo will be maintained. Another Black woman will not be in the role again for YEARS! It will be easy to claim they “tried” with respect to hiring a Black woman. But, it just did not work. We did not “fit.”
It is typical this system of misogynoir against professional Black women that requires us to get back in our place.
The system of racism makes sure we all see what is happening as some call for the lynching loudly.
We are made to rally around and watch as another one of us is hung out to dry. There. Visible. For all to see.
Additional Resources
Here are some resources for further learning that will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to become an active participant in the fight against this unique form of racism against Black women known as misogynoir:
Watch Excellence is Expected for Black women at Work in “Twice as Hard,” on All Things Equitable’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@allthingsequitable In the series, Black women from all walks of life are sharing their stories of working twice as hard over their careers in order to be recognized in the workplace. It includes the steps individuals can take to combat racism and support Black women at work.
Read "When Black Women Go From Office Pet To Office Threat" by ZORA – This article provides insight into the unique form of racism, known as "pet to threat," that Black women can experience in the workplace.
View "The Problem Woman of Colour in Nonprofit Organizations" by Coco-Net – This article explores the dynamics that prevent women of colour from remaining in leadership roles in non-profit organizations and diagrams our journey.
About Janelle Benjamin: Janelle Benjamin, B.A., J.D., is the Founder & Chief Equity Officer of All Things Equitable Inc. helping employers make workplaces more diverse, inclusive, and safe for equity-seeking groups. Learn more about Janelle and how she can help you!
