Four Voices for Justice: Reflections on Seeking Relevance in Higher Education

• Published in: Journal of park and recreation administration Vol. 36; no. 4; pp. 156 - 175
• Main Author: Havitz, Mark E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Urbana Sagamore Publishing LLC 01.01.2018
• Subjects: Colleges & universities; Education; Higher education; Morality; Travel
• ISSN: 2160-6862; 0735-1968; 2160-6862
• DOI: 10.18666/JPRA-2018-V36-I4-9242

Earlier this summer, I was thrilled to learn that I had been selected to receive the 2017 Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Award. I’ve been a National Recreation and Park Association member since 1982. Unfortunately, after considerable agonizing over the past month, I’ve decided that I will not travel to New Orleans to accept the Roosevelt Award in person. I’ve concluded that attending NRPA at this time would violate the letter and spirit of a self-imposed travel ban and compromise deeply held values, morals, and principles in light of President Donald Trump (and his administration’s) actions since elected into office. In so doing, I attempt to honor Teddy Roosevelt himself who famously wrote nearly 100 years ago that “To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” Mark E. Havitz, University of Waterloo Excerpt from an e-mail message to TALS colleagues Ontario, Canada, 20 September 2017