Five students’ scholarships were reportedly taken away after they kneeled during the national anthem at the University of Texas (UT). This has caused a national discussion about free speech, institutional norms, and social action. There have been heated arguments about this choice, and it has brought up important questions about how higher education can better promote diversity and inclusion.
Colin Kaepernick, a former NFL quarterback, made kneeling popular in 2016. It has since become a strong way to protest racial injustice and police brutality. The UT players who joined this movement wanted to bring attention to systemic injustices and speak up for groups that aren’t getting enough support.
The public has very different views on what UT is said to have decided. Supporters of the athletes say that punishing students for practicing their right to free speech goes against the university’s goal of creating a welcoming space. They say that protecting free speech should be a top priority for colleges and universities, even when there is disagreement.
As student action grows, colleges and universities across the country have to make a tough decision. Will they do what they need to do to protect free speech, or will they put institutional rules and practices first? That which happens in this argument will have huge effects on how activism, education, and free speech interact on campus.
The choice made by UT has started a very important conversation about how to balance protecting institutional principles with promoting the right to disagree. Will they give students the tools they need to have important conversations, or will they limit the freedom that helps people grow and move forward?
In the end, the University of Texas’s choice shows how important free speech is in college. It’s important for institutions to ask themselves what it means to be a beacon of academic freedom and inclusion in the 21st century as they deal with these problems.
