Harvard University has stirred controversy by labeling Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams as a "political mastermind" in a new history seminar.
The Ivy League institution is offering a course titled "Race, Gender, and the Law Through the Archive," which delves into the influence of 20th-century Black women and non-binary individuals on politics, grassroots movements, the legal profession, and higher education during the Jim Crow era and beyond. The course description highlights that "Critical Legal Studies scholars and Critical Race theorists argue that the law is subjective."
The course description further states, "From First Lady Michelle Obama to political mastermind Stacy Abrams [sic] to Vice President Kamala Harris, Black women have left their stamp on 21st-century politics and grassroots organizing."
However, the decision to describe Abrams as a "political mastermind" is perplexing, considering her lack of success in statewide elections and absence of federal office experience. Abrams has notably lost two gubernatorial races in Georgia and has accused her opponent of election theft.
According to The Washington Free Beacon, Myisha Eatmon, the professor leading the course, has a history of advocating radical views on race. In a November 2020 post, she remarked, "Racism is a virus and white privilege is a drug," and in June of the following year, she asserted, "Black radicalism is only radical within a system ruled by and built upon white supremacy."
Abrams, a former state representative, was defeated by Republican Brian Kemp in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race and again in a 2022 rematch, with an even larger margin of loss. Despite these setbacks, Abrams is contemplating a third run in 2026, although some state Democratic leaders have advised her to step aside.
For years, Abrams has maintained that the 2018 election was "rigged" and "stolen," a narrative she continued during her 2022 campaign. In January, the New Georgia Project, a voting rights group founded by Abrams, faced a historic $300,000 fine for violating 16 campaign finance laws in support of her 2018 campaign. At the time, the group was led by now-Senator Raphael Warnock (D., Ga.).
In addition to her political endeavors, Abrams has penned eight romance novels under the pseudonym "Selena Montgomery," two of which were written during her tenure in Georgia's House of Representatives. Following her initial gubernatorial defeat, CBS announced plans to adapt her 2004 book "Never Tell," though the adaptation has yet to be broadcast. The novel features a gripping narrative involving a criminal psychologist and an investigative journalist pursuing a serial killer. NBC also expressed interest in adapting one of Abrams's novels, but that project remains unreleased.
In a 2023 interview with PBS News host Christiane Amanpour, Abrams discussed how she manages her political and creative pursuits. "I try to balance my life so that I'm tackling the issues I care about from multiple perspectives," Abrams explained, noting that writing novels is particularly satisfying because she can "kill off the people I don't like."
As Abrams continues to navigate her dual roles in politics and literature, her influence and ambitions remain subjects of debate, particularly in light of her electoral track record and the controversies surrounding her political activities.
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