(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot landed a teaching gig at Harvard University to instruct students in health policy and leadership.
According to the Eric Anderson, Harvard University’s director of senior leadership fellows program at the school, Lightfoot has a variety of experiences that will behoove students at the institution, the Daily Wire reported.
“We believe our students will benefit from her experiences, insights and knowledge of leadership decision-making, Anderson said.
Michelle A. Williams, dean of faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, also praised Lightfoot for her “strong leadership” in the face of numerous challenges.
“As mayor, she showed strong leadership in advocating for health, equity and dignity for every resident of Chicago, from her declaration of structural racism as a public health crisis to her innovative initiative to bring mental health services to libraries and shelters. And of course, she led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Williams noted.
During Lightfoot’s mayoral tenure, Chicago saw crime skyrocket and businesses flee the city at rapid pace. Her handling the pandemic crisis through lockdowns and forced remote learning for students saw test scores plummet.
When asked about the type of content she will teach, Lightfoot noted that her handling of COVID will be central to her narrative.
“I’ll share specifics about the way we managed the COVID-19 public health crisis, and we’ll delve into how we approached the crisis as an avenue to address long standing public health equity challenges using data and science,” Lightfoot said, noting that she will blend right in with other elites at Harvard.
“I also look forward to being part of the community of scholars, intellectuals and students at such a world class institution.”
Lightfoot left office unceremoniously earlier this year, blaming her ousting on things outside of her control, like the George Floyd riots and COVID pandemic. In both cases, critics contend Lightfoot’s misguided policies and lack of leadership exacerbated the severity of the situations.
“There’s a lot of anger, frustration and fear that is present, not only in Chicago, but across our country. And, the winds of dissension continue to blow at a furious pace,” Lightfoot said at the time.
“So, for me, the biggest challenge wasn’t some particular person’s name on the ballot. The biggest challenge was breaking through what I call that ‘anger bubble.’”
