Cornel West GS '80, who was appointed to the religion department Saturday, yesterday characterized in a radio interview his decision to join the University faculty as both a "pull" toward Princeton and a "push" from Harvard University.
Henry Louis Gates Jr., the chair of Harvard's Afro-American studies department, is strongly considering leaving Harvard for Princeton, West also said.
In the 12-minute conversation with National Public Radio host Tavis Smiley, West strongly criticized Harvard president Lawrence Summers and highly praised President Tilghman and Provost Amy Gutmann.
Despite his "love" for Princeton, West said, he probably would not have left Harvard if not for recent tension with Summers.
Asserting that he requires a certain level of respect, West said he was "dishonored" by Summers' "attack on [him] as the wrong person, as a professor and [as] a wrong Negro."
Summers unfairly judged West's scholarship and his politics, West said.
"Summers is the Ariel Sharon of American higher education," West said. "He acts like a bull in a china shop; he acts like a bully in a very delicate and dangerous situation."
West's discontent with Summers was not the only factor influencing his decision to come to the University, he said.
"Princeton is the great center for humanistic studies," West said. "I want to be part of that high quality conversation, but also a conversation mediated with respect."
West praised the "vision of President Tilghman executed by Provost Amy Gutmann." Their vision is one of "bringing persons together," he said.
Tilghman and Gutmann made a strong effort to recruit West, telephoning him weekly, while the efforts of Summers were lacking, West said.
"The sense that [Summers] worked so hard to keep me is simply false," West said.
Summers has said, however, that he has tried to mend relations and called the meeting that caused initial tensions "a very unfortunate misunderstanding."
Though West did not cite the issue of race as a major tension between the two, he said he could not deny that it could have played a role.
Smiley asked West if Gates were also planning to join the Princeton faculty. "He's certainly leaning in that direction," West said.
Gates, who transformed Harvard's Afro-American studies department into a powerhouse in recent years, has said he would not announce a decision about his future before the summer. Gutmann said Saturday that the University has extended an offer to Gates.
The University Board of Trustees will convene again in June to appoint faculty members.
West also said he highly valued academic freedom — having served on the presidential committees of Bill Bradley '65, Ralph Nader '55 and Al Sharpton. He also emphasized the importance of affirmative action programs, which he suggested Summers did not sufficiently support.
But West stressed that Summer's differing political views would not have been enough to drive him from Harvard.
West said he gave the details of the story of his departure from Harvard to Vanity Fair magazine for its May issue.
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