Universities have become a battlefield in the American culture wars in a way that’s dramatic and new. In the past year, Congress subpoenaed and investigated the inner workings of private colleges for the first time; four ivy league presidents quit their jobs amid mounting pressure and many institutions rolled back their commitments to be welcoming places for all. Meanwhile, President-elect Trump campaigned to “reclaim” universities from the “Marxist maniacs and lunatics.” This series brings all of that into focus by examining the short, troubled tenure of Harvard’s 30th president, Claudine Gay. She started the job two days after the Supreme Court struck down Harvard’s program of race-based affirmative action. By the time Gay resigned, she had been tarred as a symbol of what’s wrong with diversity efforts.

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