This past week, we witnessed yet another attempt by President Susan Wente to silence Palestinian voices and deny the fundamental right to free speech on campus.

I am old enough to remember when Wake Forest University hosted George Bush, who myself and many people of conscience consider a war criminal and responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of U.S. military personnel. Though I disagreed with his invitation, he was allowed to speak, and students had the opportunity to listen to what he had to say.

Yet Wente has decided to cancel a speaker who has not committed war crimes but who has led an academic life dedicated to highlighting injustices throughout history. Why was she silenced? It is clear to me it is because she is Palestinian and because her views did not align with President Wente’s broken ideology.

You might now ask yourselves: surely Wente must have canceled other politically charged events on Oct. 7, right? The answer is no. She is still allowing events to occur where supporters of Israel will likely be praising the actions of the IDF, a group responsible for the murder of 40,000 innocent civilians. This shows not only that the administration’s actions are contrary to the First Amendment, but also to their own stated principles.

I was on campus the last time Wente suppressed free speech — when she had students jolted awake at 4 a.m. by police officers threatening arrest. That is how she handled the situation then, and it’s why this announcement comes as no surprise to me.

As a proud alumnus of Wake Forest University and a former student of professors from all five departments that would have hosted Abdulhadi, I was taught to listen to those with whom I disagree, not to call the cops on them; to keep an open mind to new ideas, not to silence them; to stand against injustice, not to stand by silently while injustice occurs.

Therefore, as an alumnus who cares deeply for the academic freedom of all current and future students, I call on President Wente and any other administrators who supported this decision to resign immediately. 

If they cannot do so swiftly, I call on the faculty and board of trustees at Wake Forest University to move to dismiss Wente at once. Her administration is a threat to the University and must be removed as soon as possible.

To the many departments, faculty members and students who have led the effort to amplify Palestinian voices: I want to thank you. Thank you for standing up for what is right, even in the face of such vile opposition. Despite yesterday’s events, please keep up the fight. Your work will be remembered in history as not only courageous but heroic, as you risk your titles to stand for justice.

I leave you with a quote that I often reflect on in times of uncertainty:

“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles. Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances. Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it. Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.” — Martin Luther King Jr.