History Repeats: Cornel West on Larry Summers’ Fallout
In a twist of fate that seems almost scripted, Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University, finds himself once again in the public eye—this time under a cloud of controversy that has attracted the attention of Cornel West, the very scholar he once dismissed. West, who had a highly publicized clash with Summers two decades ago, did not hesitate to highlight the irony of the situation.
“There’s a certain level of, not just hypocrisy, but a certain kind of chickens coming home to roost here,” West remarked in a recent interview. “It’s just sad that [Summers] has been preoccupied with the 11th commandment, ‘Thou shalt not get caught,’ rather than the other 10.”
Last week, newly unearthed emails exposed Summers’ decade-long correspondence with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including inquiries for romantic advice while he was embroiled in an extramarital affair. In light of this revelation, Summers has announced his withdrawal from public life, including stepping back from his teaching responsibilities at Harvard.
Summers’ earlier reprimands of West for his so-called “embarrassing” behavior—like engaging in political activism and producing a rap album—culminated in West’s resignation from Harvard in 2002. It appears that the tables have turned dramatically since then.
Having left Harvard nearly two decades ago, West has since established himself as a public intellectual and activist, taking up faculty roles at Princeton and Union Theological Seminary, authoring eight books, releasing two hip-hop albums, and even running for president in 2024. When reached for comment, West expressed little surprise at the revelations concerning Summers’ links to Epstein, who had already faced legal repercussions for soliciting minors.
“He’s a neoliberal gangster, the way Trump’s a neofascist gangster,” West stated bluntly, “There’s not a lot of integrity, honesty, and decency. There’s a lot of cold-heartedness and mean-spiritedness in both of them, even though they come from different ideological camps.”
However, West was quick to clarify his stance. “I don’t say that in order to trash them,” he noted. “I think that they both could be better human beings, but they don’t seem to be interested in it too much.”
Their feud traces back to Summers’ controversial tenure at Harvard, beginning in 2001. According to West, Summers summoned him to his office and criticized him for his political engagements and the perceived decline in academic rigor associated with his work. West recalls Summers insisting he needed to “learn to be a good citizen at Harvard,” a statement that left a lasting impression on West.
Summers’ response to West’s claims was marked by denial; while West asserted that Summers had apologized multiple times, Summers publicly refuted this. “I then knew just what an unprincipled power player I was dealing with,” West later reflected, depicting Summers as “a bull in a china shop,” an arrogant figure in a delicate environment.
Fast forward to today, and West maintains that Summers’ character remains unchanged. “The sad thing is that he, like Trump, has been able to get away with it for so long,” West remarked. “Anytime you have that kind of gangsta behavior with impunity, no accountability, there’s no answerability. He doesn’t take responsibility even now.”
Summers’ recent acknowledgment of his “deep shame” regarding his actions came as he announced plans to withdraw from certain public commitments in a bid to “rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.” He also indicated his resignation from OpenAI’s board.
When West spoke with POLITICO, the news of Summers’ resignation from his teaching duties at Harvard had not yet been made public, despite growing pressure—most notably from Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—for Harvard to sever ties with him.
Yet, West argues that ousting Summers may not be the solution. “I think people should be able to teach at Harvard who have a variety of different degrees of moral character,” he contended. “I don’t think you have to be St. Francis of Assisi or have the spirit of Fannie Lou Hamer to teach at Harvard… I always give Brother Summers, and anybody else, a chance to just choose to be a better person. He’s still alive. He can bounce back.”
In a world where academia often grapples with the ethical implications of its figures, West’s perspective highlights a broader debate about redemption and accountability. “It’s a sad thing,” he concluded, “when you have professors who are willing to hang out with gangsters like Epstein, and therefore, all of the criticism that’s moral and spiritual he deserves. I don’t know that the inference means that he can just no longer teach at Harvard or any other place. I’m a little reluctant to move in that direction. I tend to come out of the Black freedom struggle, which says, lift every voice, which makes me a very strong libertarian.”
