In recent years, some college professors across the United States have used their classrooms to do more than teach. Instead of offering balanced lessons about politics or history, certain educators are turning their classes into training grounds for far-left activism. These professors often focus on supporting Antifa, a radical movement known for using violence and chaos to push its political views.
Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” claims to fight against hate and racism. But many of its members use illegal tactics, including vandalism, harassment, and in some cases, physical assault. President Donald Trump recently called Antifa a “major terrorist organization” after an alleged Antifa supporter assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The shooter reportedly left slogans linked to Antifa on bullet casings, further tying the group to the act.
While the street violence is alarming, a quieter battle is happening in college classrooms. Professors at some universities are not just studying Antifa — they are promoting it. They use their positions to spread Antifa’s beliefs and encourage students to adopt radical ideas.
For example, at Rutgers University, Professor Mark Bray wrote a book defending Antifa’s tactics. He argues that Antifa’s goal is to stop what it sees as far-right threats and to protect progressive movements. But Bray’s work does not just explain the group — it supports it. Rutgers even praised him in a university publication, treating his activism as academic work.
At other schools, the situation is similar. The City University of New York offers a course called “Global Antifa,” which links the movement to causes like racial justice and climate activism. The professor behind the course was recently seen on video calling for a boycott of the fossil fuel industry — a political stance, not an academic one.
Another video from a conference called “Socialism 2025” showed a law professor urging people to break the law to hide illegal immigrants from law enforcement. In this case, the classroom becomes a place where students are taught not just ideas, but how to defy the law.
Course materials often reflect this bias. At Seattle University, one law class included readings such as Bray’s Antifa book, a comic book that celebrates Antifa, and other radical texts. These materials do not provide a fair view of the topic. Instead, they push students toward one political side.
Even younger students are being exposed to this ideology. At Harvard, a class called “#Abolish Police” openly supported the idea of ending law enforcement. The class also tied Antifa to the Palestinian cause and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement — a campaign that many believe unfairly targets Israel.
This type of teaching is not limited to a few schools. It is part of a larger trend where activist professors use “academic freedom” to promote their beliefs. They publish papers in journals, present opinions as facts, and then use those same papers to justify more radical teachings. This cycle, sometimes called “idea laundering,” gives political activism the appearance of academic legitimacy.
One extreme example comes from a dissertation at Mississippi State University. The author admitted that Antifa uses violence but claimed that the real problem is the media’s negative coverage. Another paper, titled “Plantifa,” tried to combine Antifa’s ideas with environmental activism, turning gardening lessons into political training.
President Trump’s action to label Antifa a terrorist group is an important step. But stopping the violence on the streets is only part of the solution. The bigger challenge lies inside the education system. When professors use public institutions to push their own political agenda, they are not educating — they are indoctrinating.
Universities should promote open debate and critical thinking. But they must also ensure that classrooms do not become tools for political movements. If schools fail to act, the consequences could be serious. Students may leave college not just with a degree, but with a radical worldview that undermines the country’s values and legal system.
Higher education must be about truth, not propaganda. If it becomes a shield for political extremism, the damage could last for generations.
