Regent Wanda James is Censured for Complaining About Racism

The censure of Wanda James, the only Black Regent at the University of Colorado (CU), on July 2, 2025 highlights a troubling trend among Colorado's Regents regarding their stance on racism. James was penalized for criticizing racist imagery used by the University of Colorado. This incident is not an isolated one, but rather part of a broader pattern of discriminatory actions taken by the Regents that undermine the very essence of equity and justice in higher education. In addition to the censure, the Regents of Colorado removed Regent James from committees, effectively silencing an elected official because they do not approve of her antiracism speech.

The censure of Regent James took place at a public Regent Zoom meeting, exposing the Regents to public scrutiny and deserved criticism. In contrast, the Regents of Colorado illegally dismissed tenured professor Greg Cronin behind closed doors, then altered documents to cover-up their violation of law. Like Regent James, Prof. Cronin spoke out about racism at CU. Wanda James was not a Regent when Prof. Cronin was dismissed, but Regents Callie Rennison, Nolbert Chavez, and Ilana Spiegel voted to punish Prof. Cronin for his work with Black scholars and students in Haiti. Wanda has a unique inside view of the Colorado Regent "playbook" that she shares with following statement made by her a week after her censure.

"Imagine this. I woke up early, 4:30am, as I always do. I hadn’t checked LinkedIn in a few days, and when I finally did, I saw a flood of notifications. I was surprised to see I’d been tagged in the same article over and over.

What I did not expect was to see my experience at the University of Colorado placed alongside the firing of Dr. Claudine Gay at Harvard University and Nikole Hannah-Jones being denied tenure at the The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hilll. The comparisons stopped me in my tracks. It made something painfully clear. This is not about one person. This is NOT about me. This is about power and control.

There is a playbook. A calculated strategy used to silence those who make the establishment uncomfortable. It punishes truth tellers. It isolates those who serve their communities with courage. It erases anyone who dares to challenge the status quo. And sends a chilling message.

It starts the same way every time. A vague accusation. A supposed breach of policy or decorum. Just enough smoke to justify a fire. Then the lawyers come in. The process becomes the punishment. The investigation is not about finding truth. It is about justifying the outcome those in power have already decided on.

Like Dr. Gay and Nikole Hannah-Jones, I was not targeted for wrongdoing. I was targeted for refusing to stay quiet. For refusing to look away. For refusing to forget who I serve.

As a former military officer, I know the assignment. When power is misused, it must be confronted. When people trust you with their voice, you fight to protect it.

I want to thank Julian Vasquez Heilig for writing this piece with such clarity and courage. Storytelling is the first battle. History is always told by the victors, which is why our storytellers are our greatest weapon. Julian told the truth, and told it without fear. That is how we begin to reclaim the narrative.

So I am not wondering if we fight. I am preparing for how we fight.

Stay tuned.

The revolution will be televised. Or at the very least, it will be right here in your feed."

I will stay tuned. I will continue to report on racism at CU at CUDenverLynx.com.