BREAKING: Following pushback, SDCCD chancellor cancels investiture
After weeks of controversy regarding keynote speaker Alice Walker, district cancels the event
Petco Park was set to host the investiture of San Diego Community College District Chancellor Carlos Cortez. on May 31. The event was canceled by the district on May 23. SDCCD photo
May 23, 2022
This story appeared in the latest print edition of City Times.
Carlos Cortez, chancellor of the San Diego Community College District, announced the cancellation of his upcoming investiture event in a district-wide email sent this afternoon.
The event was originally scheduled to be held May 31 at Downtown’s Petco Park.
The cancelation comes after several weeks of controversy regarding author Alice Walker, who was to be the keynote speaker. Walker has been criticized by various organizations for antisemitic language in her work.
The free public event was to celebrate Cortez’s inauguration to the district’s top role and included appearances by a host of high-level officials, including California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and State Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins.
The following statement was emailed at 4:51 p.m. by the SDCCD Office of the Chancellor:
“Over the past few weeks, concerns have been expressed about the political beliefs and writings of the investiture keynote speaker, Alice Walker. At the same time, others have expressed their support of Ms. Walker. As a district that celebrates inclusion, we believe the best way forward would be to cancel the event altogether. I apologize for the pain caused to any member of our community. The investiture scheduled for May 31 will not be held.”
This is a developing story. Stay with City Times Media for more updates.
Inna Kanevsky • May 24, 2022 at 2:55 pm
It is VERY important to note that “concerns have been expressed” not over Alice Walker’s political beliefs but over her blatant antisemitism, documented and detailed in multiple communications with the Chancellor and the district. The Chancellor absolutely refused to even use the word “antisemitism” with respect to Ms. Walker’s writing, minimized and dismissed concerns of Jewish faculty and staff, and placed blame on us for him and others being “broken hearted” that their inspiration will not be coming here. There was absolutely no true inclusion felt by any of us who are Jewish in this district recently.