In response to news that The Harvard Educational Review (HER) canceled the release of a planned special issue on education and Palestine, Kristen Shahverdian, PEN America’s program director for Campus Free Speech, said the following:
“We are deeply alarmed that The Harvard Educational Review abruptly canceled a special issue on education and Palestine just weeks before publication. This shocking move, coming during the final stages of copy editing, represents a blatant assault on academic freedom. Canceling an entire issue so close to publication is highly unusual, virtually unheard of. Silencing these scholarly voices robs academics, students, and the public of the opportunity to engage with their insights. It also sends a chilling message in the context of the Trump administration’s unrelenting pressure on Harvard University and mounting political interference in higher education, including efforts that target scholarship on Palestine.”
Update: “The decision to cancel the special issue came from the Harvard Education Publishing Group, not The Editorial Board. In response to the cancellation The Editorial Board released this statement.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Malka Margolies, [email protected], 718-530-3582