REV. AL SHARPTON STATEMENT ON RESIGNATION OF HARVARD PRESIDENT CLAUDINE GAY

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Jan 03, 2024

Announces NAN Will Picket Outside Hedge Fund Billionaire Bill Ackman’s Office this Thursday to Protest His Campaign Against Gay, DEI Measures

New York, NY (January 2, 2024) – Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement on the resignation of Harvard University President Claudine Gay. Last month, Rev. Sharpton stood by the longtime academic as she came under relentless attacks from hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, who called on her to resign and said she was a DEI hire. On Thursday, NAN and National Chief Operating Officer Rev. Malcolm Byrd will picket outside of Ackman’s Manhattan office over his pressure campaign against Gay.

“President Gay’s resignation is about more than a person or a single incident. This is an attack on every Black woman in this country who’s put a crack in the glass ceiling. It’s an assault on the health, strength, and future of diversity, equity, and inclusion – at a time when Corporate America is trying to back out of billions of dollars in commitments. Most of all, this was the result of Bill Ackman’s relentless campaign against President Gay, not because of her leadership or credentials but because he felt she was a DEI hire.

The National Action Network will show Ackman that his attacks on DEI, President Gay, and Black Americans have consequences. This Thursday, our team will picket outside of his office so New Yorkers, his investors, and Corporate America can see Bill Ackman for who he is. If he doesn’t think Black Americans belong in the C-Suite, the Ivy League, or any other hallowed halls, we’ll make ourselves at home outside his office.”

About National Action Network (NAN)

National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.

For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net.

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