Christina Sharpe

The open letter was addressed to the Modern Language Association (MLA), “calling on the association to pass a resolution endorsing the boycott of Israeli academic institutions.”

  

Defending Steven Salaita

On August 21, 2014, Sharpe signed a petition published by the BDS movement titled: “A Call to People of Conscience Not to Speak at the University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Until Chancellor Wise Honor the Contract to Hire Professor Steven Salaita.”

In 2014, The University of Illinois withdrew an offer of employment to Salaita after becoming aware of his anti-Semitic tweets. One tweet, posted shortly after Hamas kidnapped three teenage Israeli high school students, read: "You may be too refined to say it, but I’m not: I wish all the f**king West Bank settlers would go missing.” In 2017, Salaita posted to Facebook: “People ask if I would go back in time and change anything. I would not…I will die unapologetic.” In February 2019, Salaita stated that he had become a school bus driver in the Washington, D.C., area.

Defending Anti-Israel Activists

In January 2019, Sharpe signed a petition, published byMondoweiss, expressing support for anti-Israel activist Angela Davis.

The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) reportedly “reversed its decision to honor” Davis with an award due to her support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. 

Signatories of the petition said they were: “appalled and outraged by the decision” and that “The BCRI leadership has...chosen to pander to conservative critics and the pro-Israel lobby. History will not view this decision kindly.”

The petition also said signatories: “do share Dr. Davis’ view that the Israeli Occupation is wrong, and that the repressive, discriminatory and often violent policies of the Israeli government vis-à-vis the Palestinian population are wrong and indefensible.”

The BCRI ultimately apologized and honored Davis with the award.

The petition also defended anti-Israel activist Marc Lamont Hill, stating: “Finally, we are especially disturbed and angered by the recent targeting of Black supporters of Palestinian rights. Journalist and scholar Marc Lamont Hill was abruptly fired as a CNN contributor for expressing his views on Palestine at the United Nations in December of last year.”