A video has emerged of a speech by ex-US President Barack Obama , a Harvard University alumni, from a 1991 protest in support of a law professor, amid the current stand-off between US President Donald Trump and Harvard over the institute's refusal to implement the Trump administration's new federal directives to it.
Trump retaliated by freezing Harvard's federal funding of over $2.2 billion. Obama came out in support of his alma mater, where he studied law, and called out the US President over his alleged "ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom."
Barack Obama's viral speech
According to a 2022 report, Derrick Bell , an African American and a law professor at Harvard, and a pioneer of the so-called " critical race theory ," had launched a hunger strike over the institute's denial of tenure to Regina Austin, a black woman professor. This came at a time when only three of the law school's professors were black and only five others were women.
"...and one of the persons who spoke at that orientation was professor Bell. And I remember him sauntering up to the prop, and not giving us a lecture, but engaging us in a conversation. And speaking the truth," said Obama, Harvard's then president of the Law Review and the first African-American to hold that post.
'How did one man do all this? How has he accomplished all this? He hasn't done it simply by his good looks and easy charm, although he has both in ample measures," he added, drawing laughter from the audience, including Bell himself.
Obama, aged 30 at the time, further stated, "This scholarship has opened up new visitors and new horizons...open up your hearts and minds to professor Derrick Bell."
Trump retaliated by freezing Harvard's federal funding of over $2.2 billion. Obama came out in support of his alma mater, where he studied law, and called out the US President over his alleged "ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom."
Barack Obama's viral speech
According to a 2022 report, Derrick Bell , an African American and a law professor at Harvard, and a pioneer of the so-called " critical race theory ," had launched a hunger strike over the institute's denial of tenure to Regina Austin, a black woman professor. This came at a time when only three of the law school's professors were black and only five others were women.
"...and one of the persons who spoke at that orientation was professor Bell. And I remember him sauntering up to the prop, and not giving us a lecture, but engaging us in a conversation. And speaking the truth," said Obama, Harvard's then president of the Law Review and the first African-American to hold that post.
1990. Barack Obama leads a protest at Harvard in support of then Professor Derrick Bell.
— MAZE (@mazemoore) April 15, 2025
Bell was a founder of critical race theory. He spent his career teaching that Whites are oppressors and Blacks are victims. He went on strike at Harvard, demanding the school hire more Black… pic.twitter.com/3Gq0207euX
'How did one man do all this? How has he accomplished all this? He hasn't done it simply by his good looks and easy charm, although he has both in ample measures," he added, drawing laughter from the audience, including Bell himself.
Obama, aged 30 at the time, further stated, "This scholarship has opened up new visitors and new horizons...open up your hearts and minds to professor Derrick Bell."
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