Dr. Carol Swain
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Black Faces, Black Interests, the Representation of African Americans in Congress. And, you know, when I got my Ph.D., you had to have original research that had to be defended before a committee. It had to be pathbreaking. And for her to be able to get a Ph.D. from Harvard, win a prize for that Ph.D., and have a rapid rise in academia...
to become the president of Harvard University, it just speaks volumes about diversity, equity and inclusion. I believe the fact that her committee did not hold her to high standards. And in the book, I talk about first hearing of Claudine Gay and the word brilliant. usually preceded discussions of her, this brilliant black student at Harvard University.
to become the president of Harvard University, it just speaks volumes about diversity, equity and inclusion. I believe the fact that her committee did not hold her to high standards. And in the book, I talk about first hearing of Claudine Gay and the word brilliant. usually preceded discussions of her, this brilliant black student at Harvard University.
I was on the faculty of Princeton at the time, and I was tenured, but all I could hear about was this brilliant black student at Harvard. I did not know Claudine Gay personally, but I believe the fact that she was labeled as brilliant caused those progressive, and I'm going to say white, progressive white professors not to look very closely at her work. Mm-hmm.
I was on the faculty of Princeton at the time, and I was tenured, but all I could hear about was this brilliant black student at Harvard. I did not know Claudine Gay personally, but I believe the fact that she was labeled as brilliant caused those progressive, and I'm going to say white, progressive white professors not to look very closely at her work. Mm-hmm.
From day one, some people would say, well, you know, it sounds like you're jealous. Well, I observed this thing. I know how hard I had to work to get my degree and to get my promotions. And this thing with Claudine Gay, she went to Phillips Exeter for her high school, and her undergraduate education includes Princeton and Stanford. Her bachelor's degree is from Stanford.
From day one, some people would say, well, you know, it sounds like you're jealous. Well, I observed this thing. I know how hard I had to work to get my degree and to get my promotions. And this thing with Claudine Gay, she went to Phillips Exeter for her high school, and her undergraduate education includes Princeton and Stanford. Her bachelor's degree is from Stanford.
And then she went to get her Ph.D. from Harvard. She has 11 articles, I believe, and that was the basis of her being given tenure at Stanford and then also Harvard, becoming a full professor at Harvard, a named, chaired full professor. That would not have gotten her tenure at a Tier 1 school when I earned my tenure at Princeton. You had to have path-breaking work.
And then she went to get her Ph.D. from Harvard. She has 11 articles, I believe, and that was the basis of her being given tenure at Stanford and then also Harvard, becoming a full professor at Harvard, a named, chaired full professor. That would not have gotten her tenure at a Tier 1 school when I earned my tenure at Princeton. You had to have path-breaking work.
It was not the quantity as much as the quality. And you had to have path-breaking, pioneering work to earn tenure. And they expected a book. Black Faces, Black Interests was my tenure book. And so normally, that was the standard at Harvard, at Princeton, at Columbia, all of these places. For the social sciences, you had to have a path-breaking book. Claudine Gay never had a path-breaking book.
It was not the quantity as much as the quality. And you had to have path-breaking, pioneering work to earn tenure. And they expected a book. Black Faces, Black Interests was my tenure book. And so normally, that was the standard at Harvard, at Princeton, at Columbia, all of these places. For the social sciences, you had to have a path-breaking book. Claudine Gay never had a path-breaking book.
And according to some of the researchers, There have been allegations that three quarters of her work was plagiarized. And in the case of my work, and I talk about it in the book, the book is not just about Claudine and Harvard. It's also about plagiarism more broadly in journalism and academia.
And according to some of the researchers, There have been allegations that three quarters of her work was plagiarized. And in the case of my work, and I talk about it in the book, the book is not just about Claudine and Harvard. It's also about plagiarism more broadly in journalism and academia.
and the fact that copyright law doesn't really protect intellectual property for situations like what I encountered, because I tried to pursue the legal route, and it became very clear that copyright law was not going to work for me, and it could work against me, because under copyright law, it's lose or pays. And for someone without deep pockets, you go up against Harvard University,
and the fact that copyright law doesn't really protect intellectual property for situations like what I encountered, because I tried to pursue the legal route, and it became very clear that copyright law was not going to work for me, and it could work against me, because under copyright law, it's lose or pays. And for someone without deep pockets, you go up against Harvard University,
university they have a 50 billion dollar endowment 50 plus billion dollar endowment it's an uneven impossible battle even to have a court case against them would cost an individual between a hundred thousand and two hundred and fifty thousand and i was not deterred by that initially but in the book i talk about a discussion i had with a law professor at vanderbilt the former colleague
university they have a 50 billion dollar endowment 50 plus billion dollar endowment it's an uneven impossible battle even to have a court case against them would cost an individual between a hundred thousand and two hundred and fifty thousand and i was not deterred by that initially but in the book i talk about a discussion i had with a law professor at vanderbilt the former colleague
And he pointed out to me the risk in a way that I could really grasp what I was about to walk into. And then I realized that I could lose because I couldn't control which judge would actually get my case. I've seen enough lawfare against conservatives to know that even with the judge, there was a risk.
And he pointed out to me the risk in a way that I could really grasp what I was about to walk into. And then I realized that I could lose because I couldn't control which judge would actually get my case. I've seen enough lawfare against conservatives to know that even with the judge, there was a risk.
Lose a pace, and I was not about to use my retirement money and my Social Security to pay Harvard's lawyers.