“It is the determination to protect our sense of who we are that leads us to risk criticism, alienation, and serious loss while most others, similarly harmed, remain silent.” Derrick Bell, a prominent civil rights activist and scholar, captures a profound truth in the quote above stated while taking part in his own peaceful actions to protest the lack of colored staff on the Harvard law school faculty. This essay argues that Derrick Bell was foolish to reign in his tenured position at Harvard Law School. Yes,Derrick Bell was foolish to resign from Harvard law school. It wasn't about the action of protesting, but rather the method he goes about with his protest, Bell did a solo protest, going on unpaid leave for days on end. Logic simply tells us that there is power in numbers, if you were playing basketball, and you were only one against 3, there is a very high chance you are going to lose, rather if you were to have 5 on your team against 3, there is a very high chance you were going to win. …show more content…
Bell’s movement left a trail of immeasurable scholarship. The first female African-American professor, Professor Lani Guinier, stated that “Derrick set the agenda in many ways for scholarship on race in the academy, not just the legal academy.” She added:”Most people think of iconoclasts(a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions) as lone rangers. But Derrick was both an iconoclast and a community builder. When he opened up this path, it was not just for him. It was for all those who he knew would follow into the legal