Healey on Harvard Renaming DEI Office: They’ll Keep Valuing Diversity, ‘All of Our Colleges and Universities Will’

On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) reacted to Harvard renaming its DEI office by stating that “Harvard is going to continue to make sure that it values diversity. I know that all of our colleges and universities will,” because “diversity is a strength. It’s not a flaw.”

Host Erin Burnett asked, “[I]n terms of what has been happening at Harvard, they have been criticized because of renaming the DEI office there. And, obviously, many had applauded Harvard for standing up to Trump on some of the things he had demanded, obviously, the deal he did with Columbia as an example, they stood up on that, but they are now announcing that they’re renaming the DEI office…the community and campus life office. So, as somebody who not only is the Governor of the state, but also a graduate of Harvard, how do you see this? Are you comfortable with it, or do you think that it is a cave on a slippery slope?”

Healey responded, “No, I think that what Harvard is doing by standing up to the Trump administration is so important. And I know that Harvard is going to continue to make sure that it values diversity. I know that all of our colleges and universities will, because, at the end of the day, Erin, whether it’s in the classroom, in a boardroom, C-suite, or in the military, diversity is a strength. It’s not a flaw. And excluding women and people of color from the table, that doesn’t help anyone. It hasn’t made us stronger as a country to do that. So, I’ll tell you what is important about Harvard — and it’s not limited to Harvard, okay? I was on the campus of the University of Massachusetts last week, also subject to the same cuts, they’ve had to furlough faculty, rescind offers, and again, these are people who are researching cures to cancer and Alzheimer’s and all of that — so, Harvard standing up for academic freedom, standing up against the weaponization by the Trump administration, and, frankly, further attempts by Trump to silence is absolutely the right thing.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett