Nikole Hannah-Jones DENIED tenure for 1619 Project

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Nikole Hannah-Jones and Academic Freedom

Research & Learn

Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and lead author of the 1619 Project, was denied tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill due to her political beliefs, setting a terrible precedent for free expression, viewpoint diversity, and academic freedom on campus.

1619 Project Founder Nikole Hannah-Jones

Nikole Hannah-Jones DENIED tenure for 1619 Project

Defending Your Rights

"My case really epitomizes why tenure is necessary for academic freedom," she said. "Tenure exists to protect the academic freedom of faculty members, to ensure that faculty who may have views that become disfavored views — that are controversial views that politicians don’t like — can be protected to pursue their academic courses of study without fear of retribution."

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