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Black studies Professor Cornel

West announced on Friday that he was leaving Harvard University to

return to Princeton, after a dispute with the President of the university over

diversity angered several of Harvard’s prominent African-American Professors.

West will return to Princeton as Professor Of Religion. "I am excited to

return to the greatest center for humanistic studies in the country," West

said on Friday.

The problems started in October, when Harvard’s

President Lawrence Summers (who was the treasury secretary under Bill Clinton–take

out one of those bills and look at the signature) declined to make a strong

statement in support of affirmative action. In addition to this, Summers questioned

West’s judgment related to him recording his rap/spoken word CD "Sketches

Of My Culture," as well as his grading policies. Summers publicly apologized

and stated that he supported affirmative action after Rev. Jesse Jackson and

Rev. Al Sharpton, amongst others began to publicly chastise him.

"All of us in the Harvard community are

grateful to Cornel West for his significant contributions to Harvard’s academic

life, especially the great inspiration he provided to so many students,"

Summers said in a statement. "We will miss him and I wish him every success

at Princeton."

Now, reports are surfacing that in addition to

Cornel West that Henry Louis Gates Jr., the man that brought him to Harvard

is also considering to leave. West said that Gates’ decision to leave was an

issue "we’re going to have to deal with," during an interview with

National Public Radio. "But he’s certainly leaning in that direction.”

Another noted black studies professor, K. Anthony Appiah, accepted an offer

from Princeton in January, citing personal reasons. It is important to note

that Gates and Appiah also are the founders of the popular internet site, Africana.com.