I realize you penned this article a few years ago, but I am just coming across it as I am doing some research on the status of HBCUs.

First off, I’d like to thank you for bringing light to a topic that many of us do not give much thought to in our daily lives. I’d like to start by saying that I am a black man that got both his undergraduate and graduate degrees at predominately white institutions (PWIs). So I know first-hand that what you say is not incorrect. I studied at a very large PWI for undergraduate, and I remember only having two black instructors (one was a professor in the African-American history department and the other was an instructor in the mathematics department). But given the reality of what you said, what really can be drawn from this? The cold hard fact of that matter is that WHITE PEOPLE DO NOT WANT BLACK PROFESSORS ON THEIR CAMPUSES. Unlike black people, white people take full responsibility for educating their children. They do not, I repeat DO NOT want blacks educating their children. The few blacks you do see tenured on these campuses are ornamental and HIGHLY monitored. Sure, they’ll hire just enough of you to keep you all focused on joining their institutions and neglecting your own (HBCUs). If you were to conduct deeper analysis, you’d see that most of these black professors at PWIs are isolated and often have inferior status within their own departments. They simply do not enjoy the same value as their white counterparts. Black professors are more likely to have greater administrative duties than their white counterparts, often have heavier teaching loads, and are often more likely to serve as faculty representative for multiple student organizations. In other words, black faculty are doing the “crap” work that white professors do not want to do. Where is the value in that?

This brings me to my second point. Dr. Watkins, I do respect your scholarship and the work that you do, but I often wonder if you and your black colleagues are a part of the problem. What do I mean by this? Well, it seems that history has shown us that blacks have a long protracted history of FORCING themselves where they are not wanted. On top of that, we often fail to realize WHEN we’re not wanted. The gist of your article is that black professors are fighting tooth and nail to get into these institutions that have shown them repeatedly that they DO NOT want them there nor do they value them as academicians. They then are surprised when they either do not get tenured, or they “struggle” as you said. What do they expect?! Seriously, why should they expect anything different? The bottom line is that those schools were set up BY white people FOR white people. Anyone who joins those institutions must have a firm understanding of this reality and advance this agenda.

Now, having said that, where does that leave the likes of Cornel West, M.E. Dyson and YOU Dr. Watkins? I can’t say I have much sympathy for the plight of black professors because you all have virtually abandoned your children to education THEIR children. Did you ever stop to think that if black intellects chose to contribute your talents to any of your nation’s HBCUs, that maybe things would be different for you? You said yourself, and I quote from your article: “The presence of black faculty can make all the difference in the world when it comes to helping black students clearly visualize their personal goals.” How are you all practicing this? How impactful are you all really for students at Princeton, Georgetown and Syracuse? Sounds like all talk and no action to me.

I have very little sympathy for blacks that continue to chase the false dream of full acceptance at the white man’s university. It’s NEVER going to happen. I need you to receive that into your consciousness. All you and those black professors you named are doing is using your talents and intellect to advance THEIR children so that they can use what you taught them to turn around and oppress YOU and your children. Where is the honor in that? Has that thought ever occurred to you Dr. Watkins?
To me you guys are wasting your time at these PWIs. If there is already a black tenured professor in your department, then you can forget about a long-term career at that institution. You have very little impact there and they will NEVER respect you. Once those white students you teach graduate, you’ll be but a distant memory to them. At best you’ll be a conversation piece at one of their cocktail parties where they discuss ‘this one black professor I had.’ You and those other pandering professors you named would have MUCH more impact teaching at a predominately black institution. Yet, you all continue to pander and complain.

SO, I don’t feel sorry for any of you black professors that are having a hard time at these PWIs. Perhaps you all should take that as a sign from above that perhaps you are not living within your purpose. Maybe the Supreme being gave you all the talent and ability to make a GREATER impact than you all are at your current institutions. Even the whites can see that. Ever thought about that Dr. Watkins?

Food for thought.