“Distraught, Disappointed and Disillusioned”: Kimberlé Crenshaw ’81 Laments State of Free Expression at Cornell in Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture

Kimberlé Crenshaw '81 is a renowned legal scholar and social justice advocate who has been a professor at Cornell Law School since 1994. In her Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture in 2024, she emphasized the importance of freedom of expression and combating injustice.

Crenshaw highlighted the challenges facing free expression on campus, including censorship, harassment, and intimidation of students and faculty who express unpopular opinions or engage in controversial discussions. She also criticized the lack of support from university administrators and the broader community for those who are targeted for their speech.

Crenshaw's comments were met with mixed reactions on campus. Some students and faculty praised her for speaking out against the erosion of free expression, while others accused her of being too critical of Cornell and ignoring the progress that has been made in recent years.

Despite the controversy surrounding her remarks, Crenshaw's message was clear: freedom of expression is essential to a healthy democracy, and it must be protected at all costs. She called on Cornell and other universities to take a stronger stance against censorship and support those who are targeted for their speech.