Crimson stain

In a stunning reversal, Dr. Claudine Gay abruptly abdicated the presidency at Harvard. Having done so, the first Black president of America’s most prestigious university has spared it from some ignominious fate. There is no telling how much irreparable harm might have been visited upon the Crimson had Dr. Gay remained in her post. At least that is the impression one gets from the noisome cavalcade of her detractors. Of course, it should have surprised no one that Dr. Gay bowed to the unrelenting pressure for her to step aside. Among those who publicly called for her ouster is Dr. John McWhorter, a respected political and social observer. Recently, McWhorter wrote the following in his column for The New York Times: “As a matter of scholarly ethics, academic honor and, perhaps most of all, leadership that sets an example for students, Dr. Gay would be denigrating the values of ‘veritas’ that she and Harvard aspire to uphold. Staying on would not only be a terrible sign of hollowed-out leadership, but also risks conveying the impression of a double standard at a progressive institution for a Black woman, which serves no one well, least of all Dr. Gay.” McWhorter, who is...