Prof. Emeritus Noel Kent is a Jewish Emeritus Professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He is a “scholar-activist” with a long-standing focus on U.S. racism, economic inequality, and global human rights.
Prof. Kent specializes in the study of American decline and race relations. Teaching for years in Hawaii—a land with a strong indigenous anti-colonial tradition—has kept his perspective sensitive to “settler colonialism.” He is a frequent contributor to progressive outlets like Common Dreams and CounterPunch.
Kent often identifies himself as “A Jewish voice for peace in Palestine,” viewing the support for Palestinian rights as a modern manifestation of the Jewish prophetic tradition. Kent is also a member of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) organization’s Hawai’i chapter.
He has frequently attacked the “double standards” of U.S. foreign policy. In a moving essay, he reflected on his upbringing in a pro-Zionist environment, noting that his research into Civil Rights and Anti-Apartheid movements led to a realization: “If you oppose segregation in Alabama, there is no reason to support it in Hebron. Our moral compass cannot suddenly fail when passing through Tel Aviv customs. Gaza is becoming the ultimate test of human conscience; if we choose silence, we betray the most vital tradition of justice in our own history.”