On December 11, 2024, The Wall Street Journal published an article by Professor Perry Link of the University of California, Riverside (UCR), revealing his persecution by university leadership for expressing dissenting views. This troubling case sheds light on a broader issue: the ideological rigidity of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) movement and its unsettling resemblance to Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution in China, a period I personally experienced.

While they may seem well-intentioned, these policies can erode institutional integrity and perpetuate inefficiency.
A couple of years ago, while serving on a faculty search committee, Professor Link objected to prioritizing a candidate’s race over academic qualifications. In an email, he described a Black applicant as “lively and charming—and yes, Black, which is great—but I can’t say that I found his sophistication and experience up to the level of our top candidates.” He argued against making race the “overriding criterion,” stating that it was unfair to more qualified candidates and did not serve the university’s mission of excellence. This dissent sparked severe repercussions.
UCR leadership accused Professor Link of violating DEI principles, specifically of discrimination and making “adverse and unwarranted comments about the race, gender, or national origin of the candidate pool.” Punishments included barring him from serving on search committees, salary reductions, and potential termination. These actions starkly contradict the essence of diversity, which should encourage the free expression of differing views. Instead, UCR’s leadership punished Professor Link for upholding academic integrity.
Professor Link’s distinguished career further underscores the absurdity of these charges. He taught at Princeton University, where I was a student at the time. I loved listening to his public lectures and chatting with him. A lifelong advocate for universal human rights, he was blacklisted by the Chinese Commu...