Showing up and Navigating the Academy’s Trenches as a Black Man by Jesse Ford

Research shows that Black faculty face many hurdles in higher education (Smith, 2004; Griffin, et al., 2013), highlighting issues such as racism (Griffin et al., 2011), tokenism (Mitchell, 2021), isolation (Edwards et al., 2018), and a host of other challenges. These challenges frequently painted a negative picture of the Black faculty experience, and many may wonder why Black faculty enter the academy, or “the trenches,” as I refer to academia for people who hold marginalized identities. My response to the question of why I entered the trenches as a Black faculty member has always revolved around my agency and commitment to supporting people. While everyone defines support differently, I define it by getting to know people on a deeper level than “how are you?” and following up as I create humanizing learning spaces where I affirm people by saying things like, “I see you”. As I attempt to lead and educate with love, I’ve been compelled to reevaluate my interpersonal connections (humanizing students and colleagues) and, as a result, my knowledge of power and oppression as a Black man in my program, department, and institution.  Additionally, I frequently educate students to evaluate the presence of power and privilege in all academic settings and how this privilege manifests itself in our education system and our ever-changing global society. Within this context, I encourage students to become tempered radicals in educational spaces and to envision themselves as “cautious and committed catalysts who keep going and who slowly make a difference” (Meyerson, 2001, p. 5). Meyerson (2008) argues tempered radicals value being themselves in all spaces. Meyerson (2008) adds that tempered radicals,  

…want to succeed in their organizations yet want to live by their values or identities, even if they are somehow at odds with the dominant culture of their organization. Tempered radicals want to fit in, and they want to retain what makes them different. They want to rock the boat, and they want to stay in it (p. xi).

As a Black faculty member, I am constantly evaluating how I can engage students in critical and intentional change while also emphasizing the value of working within an organization. Extending my reasoning, I would like to draw attention to Milner (2016), who discovered that teachers are racial and cultural beings who adhere to three key principles when working with students, which are

(a) teachers must remember the importance of identity in education—their own as well as their students; (b) teachers must deeply understand and remember the social context of their work—the ethos of a school, district, and community influence validation and affirmation of students; and (c) teachers must remember the interrelated nature of the mind and heart in education—teaching and learning are connected to the affective and cognitive domains of students’ experiences (p. 429).

This principle, while distinct for teachers, could be applied to my experience as a Black faculty member. The first principle, or teachers must remember the importance of identity in education—their own as well as their students,  reminds me of my social identities and how I show up in academic settings. As the sole Black man in my department, my Blackness and masculinity are frequently observed, evaluated, and critiqued, both directly and indirectly. It’s critical to recognize that this is not always a negative thing, as my identities also influence how my peers and students perceive me as a supporter, advocate, and educator. Along with their perceptions of me, I recognized that students arrive on college campuses with a knapsack of emotions, feelings, and experiences that impact and influence their interactions within my classroom spaces.

 As an early career scholar, the second principle, teachers must deeply understand and remember the social context of their work—the ethos of a school, district, and community influence validation and affirmation of students, is quite often hard to digest. In reflection of my journey thus far, the social context of the work that I do is grounded in an environment that was constructed and designed to serve people who do not look like me. As a Black person who studies Black experiences, the context of my scholarship is critical to understanding how I interact with students in our shared classroom space. As such, I am constantly thinking about social context on a college campus includes historical and social-political framing of the campus institution and its community.  To do this effectively, I speak openly about the challenges facing our global society, including racial injustices, the global pandemic, and the country’s ongoing manifestation of racism. As such, historical and social-political experiences are an inherent part of, rather than a distinct component of, the educational environment and, inevitably, the world in which students live.

The final principle, teachers must remember the interrelated nature of the mind and heart in education—teaching and learning are connected to the affective and cognitive domains of students’ experiences, reminds me that education is powerful and liberating. Over the last few years, the ability to prepare the next generation of leaders in our field has become an honor. In the daily grind of navigating the trenches, it’s easy to lose sight of why we’re doing this work of educating students. My “why” is connected to reviving hope for the future. I am constantly thinking of ways to inspire other educators to lead and teach with love through personal friendships and professional enclaves, or “comfortable spaces where people convene, laugh and sometimes even cry” (Fuller, 2018, para 1). Regardless of the challenges confronting Black faculty, this principle is critical for understanding how faculty, when empowered, can share, and model a space that supports all students in becoming change agents in our society. Finally, I offer this reflection of my experiences in the hopes that it will help others see, understand, and support students.

About the Scholar

References

Griffin, K. A., Bennett, J. C., & Harris, J. (2013). Marginalizing merit?: Gender differences in Black faculty D/discourses on tenure, advancement, and professional success. The Review of Higher Education, 36(4), 489-512.

Griffin, K. A., Pifer, M. J., Humphrey, J. R., & Hazelwood, A. M. (2011). (Re) defining departure: Exploring Black professors’ experiences with and responses to racism and racial climate. American Journal of Education, 117(4), 495-526.

Edwards, W. J., & Ross, H. H. (2018). What are they saying? Black faculty at predominantly white institutions of higher education. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 28(2), 142-161.

Fuller, J. (2018, April 4). African-American enclaves provide social and professional networks. Radio IQ and WVTF Music. https://www.wvtf.org/news/2018-04-02/african-american-enclaves-provide-social-and-professional-networks

Meyerson, D. E. (2008). Rocking the boat: How tempered radicals effect change without making trouble. Harvard Business Review Press.

Milner, H. R. (2016). A Black male teacher’s culturally responsive practices. The Journal of Negro Education, 85(4), 417-432.

Mitchell, O. (2021). Tokenism in criminology and criminal justice departments: Problems and solutions. Race and Justice, 11(3), 338-346.