University of Southern California valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, was barred from speaking at this year's commencement ceremony after pro-Israel groups raised concerns over her social media posts in support of Palestinians. MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin speaks to Tabassum about USC’s decision and what she plans to do next.
On Monday, Andrew Guzman, the provost of the University of Southern
The University of Southern California announced on Friday all commencement speakers are being eliminated from the commencement ceremony next week.
USC announced the cancellation of a keynote speech by filmmaker Jon M. Chu just days after making the choice to keep the student valedictorian, who expressed support for Palestinians, from speaking.
USC students, faculty and pro-Palestinian protesters responded to a call to action Thursday to fight back against what they say is the "institutional silencing" of valedictorian Asna Tabassum. "Let her speak! Let her speak!" the crowd of hundreds chanted, a few holding up signs bearing Tabassum's face. USC is barring the valedictorian from speaking at its May 10 commencement — a first in the university's 143-year history — over unspecified safety threats, Provost Andrew T. Guzman announced in a...
Many students and faculty members accuse USC of censorship for not allowing
Many students and faculty members accuse USC of censorship for not allowing
Asna Tabassum, the valedictorian of the University of Southern California, opened up about the decision by school leaders to cancel her commencement speech.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the USC campus on Thursday amid a
Campus tensions over Israel’s war on Gaza have flared up again, this time at the University of Southern California, which this week barred its valedictorian from speaking at next month’s commencement ceremony. The school cited potential campus safety risks if Asna Tabassum delivered a speech. Provost Andrew T. Guzman said in an email to students and staff on Monday that public discussion had “taken on an alarming tenor” after the school announced its choice for valedictorian. “The intensity of...
When they canceled a graduation speech by a pro-Palestinian valedictorian, USC officials intended to cool down tensions that have roiled the campus throughout the Israel-Hamas war. Instead, the decision by President Carol Folt to revoke a speaking slot for the valedictorian ignited more controversy and catapulted the university further into debates over student activism, free speech, antisemitism and anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate. On Wednesday, a smattering of protesters gathered by the...
LOS ANGELES — Some students at the University of Southern California said their sense of pride was dashed this week when the school canceled Muslim student Asna Tabassum's valedictorian speech out of security concerns. They said the announcement of Tabassum's selection as valedictorian this month made them feel seen and heard. “It showed me that our people have a voice on campus,” said USC student Abdullah Khlefat, who is Muslim. Another student, named Layan, who asked that her last name not be...