Description
Book SynopsisResearch demonstrates that faculty of color in historically white institutions experience higher levels of discrimination, cultural taxation, and emotional labor than their white colleagues. Despite efforts to recruit minority faculty, all of these factors undermine their scholarship, pedagogy, social experiences, promotion and retention. This edited volume builds upon the existing research on faculty of color, however, it also departs from the existing literature and unravels the socio-emotional experiences of being in front of the classroom, in labs, and in the Ivory Tower for faculty who are in multiple racialized social locations. In an effort to circulate the experiences of faculty of color more widely to academic and non-academic audiences, this edited volume replaces conventional scholarly technical papers with unconventionally accessible letters. Stories from the Front of the Room focuses on the boundaries which faculty of color encounter in everyday experiences on campus and p
Trade ReviewA real-world, up-close look inside the everyday reality of working in historically white Academia, as seen by its most astute observers—the faculty of color who must cope, survive, leave, and thrive in a pervasive white-racist environment. -- Joe Feagin, Ella C. McFadden Professor, Department of Sociology, Texas A&M University
Stories from the Front of the Room is truly a unique and provocative book. In letter format, the writings provide an impressive and extensive view of how professors of different races and genders across differing disciplines learn to ‘survive and thrive’ in the academy. The richness of the narratives provides candid and expressive stories of life in the professoriate for faculty of color. From doctoral students to academicians, this is a book all professors should have in their bookcase! -- Rosemary Papa, Del and Jewel Lewis Endowed Chair, Educational Leadership, Northern Arizona University
Stories from the Front of the Room is essential reading for all faculty in the country who care about educating a diverse nation, providing opportunity, and ensuring equity. The editors have fastened together a beautiful group of voices that shed light on how far we have to come to ensure that everyone feels included in academe. -- Marybeth Gasman Ph.D, Professor; Director, Penn Center for Minority-Serving Institutions Higher Education Division Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction to the volume Orly Clerge, Frederick Gooding, Jr., Michelle Harris, Sherrill L. Sellers PART I: Colleagues Part I Introduction: highlights of research literature on colleagues and faculty of color Chapter 1: Dear Fellow Underrepresented Junior Faculty Members Pamela Harris & Alicia Prieto Langarica Chapter 2: Dear Colleagues Matthew Oware Chapter 3: Dear Mentor Anonymous Chapter 4: Dear Colleague JeffriAnne Wilder Chapter 5: Dear Nicole (A Note to Nicole on Becoming Tax-free) Tamika Carey Chapter 6: To My Esteemed Colleagues and Inquisitive Students Carlotta A. Berry Chapter 7: Mentor Essay: Standing Firm upon Unsteady Ground Alford Young PART II: Students Part II Introduction: Research exploring bias in student ratings of teachers Chapter 8: An Open Letter to the Black Woman in the Front Row Jennifer Sims Chapter 9: Dear Black and Racialized Students Delores Mullings Chapter 10: Dear Fellow Front of the Room Academicians Khadijah Miller Chapter 11: In Solidarity, Dear Student Vivian Ng Chapter 12: Mentor Essays: Don’t Forget to Reflect on and Fight Your Own Biases Mary Pattillo PART III: Tenure Part III Introduction: literature on teaching, research and service Chapter 13: Love & Labor in Academia: Dear Faculty Members Who Mentor Doctoral Students of Color Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher Chapter 14: Dear Friends and Colleagues Jose Santos Chapter 15: Being in the Room: Dear Colleagues Sonja Lanehart Chapter 16: Liberation and the Denial of an Academic Career: Dear Colleagues Anonymous Chapter 17: Mentor Essay: Tenure Juan Battle PART IV: Administration Part IV Introduction: Literature on administrative contexts with focus on recruitment and retention Chapter 18: Dear University Hiring Committees and Administrators Amanishakete Ani Chapter 19: Racing It in Academia: Dear Director of the School of Social Work Patrina Duhaney Chapter 20: Dear Lex Teresa Gilliams Chapter 21: Dear Unsupported Faculty “Teaching in Color” Chavella Pittman Chapter 22: Dear Chief Diversity Officers: Pedigree or Ph.D.? Or, "You Can't Handle the Truth." David Hernández Chapter 23: Mentor Essay: Reflections on Higher Ed Administration Harvey Charles PART V: Climate PART IV Introduction: Major themes in the research on faculty of color and campus climate Chapter 24: Good Muslims and White Academics: Dear Directors Uzma Jamil Chapter 25: Hello, Black Women’s Lives (Don’t) Matter in the Academy Lani V. Jones Chapter 26: Dear Junior Scholar Danne E. Davis Chapter 27: A Letter from the Ivory Tower Andrea G. Hunter Chapter 28: Mentor Essay: The Talk Eduardo Bonilla-Silva Afterword About the editors About the contributors Index
