We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the recent media attacks and allegations targeting Professor Russell Rickford, a respected human rights activist and esteemed faculty member at Cornell University for his affirming the basic human rights of the Palestinian people. These allegations are based on deliberate misinterpretations and unfounded accusations that threaten not only Professor Rickford's reputation, life, and academic freedom of expression at Cornell University.

As the renowned civil rights leader Malcolm X once cautioned, "If you are not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." In this context, we believe that Professor Rickford's situation exemplifies the importance of his words.

On Sunday, Professor Rickford courageously attended and spoke at a Palestine solidarity rally, the only faculty member to do so. Contra the accusations, Professor Russell was not celebrating violence in his speech–far from it. The refrain of “I hate violence” scattered throughout the transcript indicates as much. What he was doing in the speech, however, was contextualizing both the Palestinian struggle for freedom and the Jewish fear of continued persecution.

While his choice of words may have left room for deliberate misinterpretation — something Professor Rickford has openly acknowledged in a public statement to the — transcript of his full speech, shows that he did not, in any way, celebrate the targeting of innocent individuals.

It is disheartening to witness that there are individuals and groups determined to tarnish Professor Rickford's reputation and even jeopardize his career based on false claims and accusations.

This campaign of censorship and intimidation is particularly pernicious given the fact that Professor Rickford is a BLACK scholar who has surmounted countless obstacles to inspire, mentor, and support students across Cornell for. Professor Rickford is an internationally-known historian, a foremost scholar of the Black Radical Tradition, and an award-winning author of three major books. He has dedicated his life to both teaching historical injustices as well as fighting the injustices which surround us. This silencing campaign must be located in the larger context of silencing black voices when they express dissent or disagree with dominant narratives.

We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with Professor Russell Rickford and denounce in the strongest terms the attacks that have been leveled against him. We believe in the importance of open and respectful dialogue on complex issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and oppose any attempts to silence individuals who seek to express their opinions and foster understanding.

We appreciate your attention to this matter and ask that you sign this petition to support Professor Rickford in these troubling times, in order to encourage the university to find a just resolution that upholds the principles of academic freedom of speech.