NEW YORK CITY (TND) — Rev. Al Sharpton picketed outside billionaire Bill Ackman's office Thursday to protest his push for ex-Harvard President Claudine Gay's resignation.
The civil rights leader marched with the National Action Network outside the New York City office. The protestors tried to show New Yorkers, corporate America and Ackman's investors "who he is" by carrying signs and shouting, "No justice, no peace!"
"The National Action Network will show Ackman that his attacks on DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion), President Gay, and Black Americans have consequences," Sharpton said earlier this week. "If he doesn’t think Black Americans belong in the C-Suite, the Ivy League, or any other hallowed halls, we’ll make ourselves at home outside his office.”
The reverend alleged the calls for Gay's ousting are an attack on every Black woman who has "put a crack in the glass ceiling."
"It’s an assault on the health, strength and future of diversity, equity and inclusion – at a time when Corporate America is trying to back out of billions of dollars in commitments," Sharpton claimed.
He argues Ackman advocated for Gay's resignation over beliefs she was a DEI hire. The hedge fund manager was out of the country for the protest, but said he would be "delighted" to discuss Sharpton's concerns.
READ MORE | Billionaire Bill Ackman calls for Harvard board to resign, DEI office to be closed
Ackman had criticized the Harvard Corporation's refusal to terminate the president, claiming its continued support is "not just enormously damaging to Harvard," but "incredibly destructive" to the fellows' reputations.
"We are well past the point where Claudine Gay is the only one to blame for the mess that is Harvard. Ultimately, when management fails, the board needs to step in. It has failed to do so," Ackman wrote last month. "As a result, the reputations of the eleven individuals who comprise the board are in the process of being destroyed. It is sad to watch this happen as there are some very high quality people on this board."
Ackman accused the board of refusing to act due to fear of being "canceled."
"The principal reason I believe is that they are afraid of being called racists. They have concluded that if they fired President Gay, Harvard’s first black president, they would be canceled and deemed racists," the hedge fund manager claimed. "They have failed to act out of fear."
Ackman also states the committee would have had to admit they choose poorly in selecting Gay as president and ignored concerns about her scholarship and leadership.
READ MORE | Former Harvard president Claudine Gay will remain professor, likely keep nearly $900K salary after resigning
"Sometimes successful people have a hard time admitting mistakes, particularly when doing so will make the news. So, they have stuck their heads in the sand and they have made matters much worse," Ackman said. "Not only are they damaging Harvard’s and their own reputations, they are now materially damaging the black community."
In a statement after Gay's resignation this week, the Harvard Corporation said the former president "has acknowledged missteps and has taken responsibility for them," while also showing "remarkable resilience in the face of deeply personal and sustained attacks."
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