The situation on college campuses has never been so dire.
Students tell us their classmates are walking around with copies of papers, fearful they could be swept away by masked agents. Administrators are changing courses to avoid offending MAGA extremists. Support systems for minority students – including Jewish students – are being cut.
On April 1, we discussed the impact of Trump’s attacks on education and how universities are – and should be – responding, with two students, Lauren Haines from the University of Michigan and Ma’ayan Stutman-Shaw from Brown University, and Stacy Burdett, an antisemitism expert and inclusion consultant.
“The pitting of marginalized groups against each other is a tactic as old as time, one that is used to distract from what the government is doing,” Ma’ayan shared. “Seeing that being used in real time is really frustrating.”
“Trump’s attacks are a picture-perfect execution of the authoritarian playbook. Authoritarian regimes always start with the intellectual class,” Stacy said. “And it is achieving its goal[…] When I see students, faculty and administration arguing, divided, protesting each other, that is a win for Donald Trump.”
“Leadership in the Jewish community after October 7, especially on college campuses, has been really difficult. But I think if there’s any silver lining to what’s happening right now, it’s that students are more unanimously against the Trump Administration compared to our perspectives about Israel and Palestine, Lauren said. “Students are looking more to band together.”
Watch the full discussion below:
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