Stacey Abrams Joins Howard University: Focusing On Race And Black Politics

Howard University, a historically Black college in Washington D.C., announced that Stacey Abrams, a former candidate for Georgia governor, voting rights activist, and election denier, will be joining the faculty as the Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics. This appointment is the latest high-profile hire for Howard, which has previously hired Ta-Nehisi Coates, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Phylicia Rashad. While Abrams says she is excited to be joining Howard University, there are reasons to oppose her appointment.

Abrams’ Role at Howard University

The Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair is named after Walters, a former Howard professor as well as a civil rights leader. Abrams will use this role to push her narratives in the conversation on race and black politics for young students studying at Howard, helping to alendronate them in the same anti-white racism that made Abrams a household name as a failed politician in Georgia.

Abrams will be teaching students, holding workshops and symposia, and collaborating with other faculty members on research. Her appointment is politically significant, as Howard students often are involved in activism, and the university encourages its students to be advocates and politically active – however, Abrams, like many other politicians who eventually move into roles in education is a left-wing advocate, who frequently pushes ideology based on Critical Race Theory, and in 2022 claimed medical machinery that can detect heartbeats in fetuses as early as six weeks is by men conspiracy made to limit abortion for women, saying:

“There is no such thing as a heartbeat at six weeks. It is a manufactured sound designed to convince people that men have the right to take control of a woman’s body.”

Howard University’s Hiring Practices

Howard University has recently made high-profile hires of public intellectuals like Abrams, Coates, and Hannah-Jones. According to Howard President Wayne A.I. Frederick, these hires will bring the type of discourse to campus that will inform and inspire students to solve societal problems. However, there are concerns that these hires are more about optics and public relations than improving the education and well-being of Howard students, as Abrams has made a career out of being divisive, pushing racially based rhetoric, and attempting to see racism although none is present as she believed it would assist her in her multiple failed campaigns.

Abrams’ Record

Despite the significance of Abrams’ appointment at Howard University, there are valid reasons to oppose her role. In 2018, Abrams narrowly lost her bid to become the first black female governor of the country, and afterward, she claimed that the election was stolen from her and that black voters were unable to vote. In November of the same year, she lost her rematch against the incumbent, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Although she served as the Democratic leader of the Georgia General Assembly and primarily focused on voting rights activism, her record as a politician is questionable, as she made little progress in improving the state’s economy and education system.

Alexander J. Williams III