A year ago, a report by Gary King and Darryl Thomas detailed the history of Black faculty at Pennsylvania State Univerity. (See JBHE post.) The report showed that “although the first Black student, Calvin Waller, entered Penn State in 1899 more than 40 years after it was founded, the first full-time African American professor, Mary E. Godfrey, was not hired until 1956 as an assistant professor of art education. Charles T. Davis began service in 1961 as an associate professor and became the first Black professor promoted with tenure to full professor in 1963.” By 1975, there were 35 Black faculty members at Penn State but they made up only 1 percent of the total faculty. Now, according to the study, African Americans make up 10.6 percent of the population of Pennsylvania. But only 4.1 percent of the student body at the state’s flagship university is Black.
Now Dr. King and Dr. Thomas along with several colleagues have published Part 2 of More Rivers to Cross: Black Faculty and Academic Racism at Pennsylvania State University. This report presents the results of a survey of Black professors at the main and satellite campuses of Penn State regarding their experiences with racism, on the institutional and interpersonal levels, perpetrated by students, colleagues, administrators as well as the academic culture in which they work.
Among the findings of the report are:
- 8 out of 10 Black professors reported experiencing racism at Penn State. Almost half encountered racism within the first year of their appointment and one-third within 1-3 years.
- More than two-thirds of respondents reported that they have experienced racism within the last 3 years from students.
- Over half of Black faculty (53.1%) stated that they had “sometimes” (35.9%) or “often” (17.2%) experienced racism from administrators or supervisors.
- A majority of black professors (56.2%) reported that they had experienced racism either “sometimes” (45.3%) or “often” (10.9%) from their colleagues within the last 3 years.
- The vast majority of respondents (73.1%) who experienced racism chose not to report it to the administration, for various reasons.
The authors urge the university to enhance recruitment and retention efforts regarding Black faculty. But they state: “Culture matters too. What takes place within the classroom and individual departments in interactions with students, colleagues, and administrators impacts the wellbeing and mental health of Black faculty and their pursuit of teaching, research, and service.”
Racism is a given in North America. Black faculty should focus more of their energies on helping each other improve academically and professionally instead of merely documenting the problems we face. Excellence is the best revenge, yet I have often been shocked by the reluctance of black colleagues to share their knowledge and contacts.
It appears that “ewart” (lower case ‘e’ intentional) has an acute reading comprehension disability based upon his ‘colonial subject mentality’. These so-called Black faculty at the Racist Penn State University have already proven themselves both academically and professionally. Yet, mere minions like ‘ewart’ and other IMMIGRANTS are too blind to recognize the insidiousness and pervasiveness institutional Racism is at Penn State University. That said, I seriously question why would any well published so-called Black scholar at Penn State University even tolerate any form of racism from these Insecure White faculty, administrator, or even White students at anytime. Let me guess! You’re more worried about a Fricking Pay Check than your dignity along with maintaining that comfy lifestyle of domiciling next to Whites and making them your spouses. Talk about confusion.
Thanks Michael, you said it all, get off the fence post it is what it is an IT is very very UGLY!!
Ditto Michael. I personally believe that this Ewart clown is an internet troll. This person has repeatedly posted inflammatory things on this site for no other reason than to be contrary.
I feel those Penn State faculty members’ pain. I faced horrific racism at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Read all about it in the recently released anthology The Beauty and the Burden of Being a Black Professor.
Ewart (if that is even your real name) find another hobby and stay off of this site please.
Actually, Carlos — if that is your real name — you should have taken a moment to find my name on the Internet before posting your comment.
But I realize you want to promote your stuff, and I suppose any excuse for doing that works for you. Good luck.
Hey ‘ewart'(lower case ‘e’ intentional),
Your misguided towards Dr. Minor clearly shows your how far removed you are from academia. I would suggest you read the following article on Dr. Minor titled
“https://jbhe.com/2014/03/faculty-member-files-racial-complaint-against-northwestern-oklahoma-state-university/”. Unfortunately ‘ewart’, you just don’t get it.
Thanks Dr. Minor. I certainly agree with regarding the ‘ewart’ character. I’m definitely looking forward to purchasing a copy of “The Beauty and the Burden of Being a Black Professor”. Also, I would venture in saying that the majority of so-called Black American professors at HWCUs have the same experience like the Black professors at Penn State unfortunately.