Musician Evelyn Harris, one of Smith College’s commencement speakers, has relinquished her honorary degree after plagiarizing her speech, according to a Tuesday email obtained by MassLive.
Smith College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton wrote in an email to the Smith College community that Harris “borrowed much of her speech to graduates and their families from the commencement speeches of others without the attribution typical of and central to the ideals of academic integrity.”
“In conversations about this after the event, Ms. Harris was forthcoming about her choices while also acknowledging that she sought to infuse the words of others with her own emotional valence. With appreciation for the requirement of academic integrity so central to the values of Smith, Ms. Harris has chosen to relinquish her honorary degree,” Willie-LeBreton said.
Harris did not immediately respond to outreach from MassLive.
A college spokesperson pointed to the institution’s Academic Honor Code, defining its academic community by its commitment to scholarship, “which depends on scrupulous and attentive acknowledgement of all sources of information.”
“I appreciate those who brought the dissonance of this moment to our attention and am very grateful for the graciousness of Evelyn Harris’s decision,” Willie-LeBreton wrote.
Willie-LeBreton acknowledged Harris’ “long and generative contributions” to music and culture, both nationally and internationally.
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Harris is a vocal teacher, former member of the world-renowned a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock, and a global performer for more than 50 years, according to the college.
Harris was one of four recipients of honorary degrees at Smith on Sunday.
The others included: Danielle Allen, a Harvard professor of political philosophy, public policy and ethics and founder and chairperson of Partners In Democracy; Admiral Rachel L. Levine, the 17th assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Preeti Simran Sethi, an Emmy-award winning writer, academic and mental health coach, according to the college’s website.
