 Increase in focus being paid to the value and the value add of black professors throughout higher education But particularly at historically black colleges joining us today to talk about it dr. Sharon Davis from Florida A&M University and associate professor of early education at the land grant flagship of Florida who is one of the lead editors on a new strike again a new Edition of work the beauty and burden of being a black professor. So dr. Davis is really an honor to have you this morning Thank you. Mr. Carter very wonderful to be here with you and thank you for having me I really appreciate this platform and appreciate you for all the work you do for HBC use. Thank you ma'am. I appreciate it Let's get into the book. So this is a work involving a number of professors Notably all of a lot of you guys HBCU graduates in the HBCU professorate What motivated you guys to to compile this work? And what do you think the value is of telling the story of black faculty at large? Well, first of all, I want to I really want to thank dr. Henry Fryerson who is the editor of this series diversity in higher education through emerald publishing. Dr. Fryerson is the graduate he's a graduate dean at University of Florida and he really really has opened a lot of doors for us He's given us a grand opportunity just to to be a voice and just to have a voice out here this is our second edited book through his series and We kind of and listen. He's our our kind of our academic uncle if you will he'll he'll get us straight in a minute But shout out to my my wonderful editorial team Dr. Adriel Hilton who is the dean of students and diversity officer at Seton Hill University Find him on Twitter at Hilton Adriel he's always tweeting always out there. This brother is amazing. He's an amazing scholar He's an amazing writer. He's an amazing friend. Don't try to take him from me because he's mine I mean he is awesome. I'm Ricardo Hamrick. He's at he's a He's at the Office of Housing and Residence Life at Ohio University and also our Co-editor Dr. F. Eric Brooks. He is a provost and VP at Central State formally at Kentucky State University So we we've got a wonderful editorial team and I cannot tell you how hard we worked You know the the idea came about just I mean, you know, we hey we we know that there there's a beauty and a burden to being black professors but the I told him that the follow-up to this book would be um the beauty and the burden of being black professors trying to put a book out during a pandemic and The burden of trying to get that's a whole another book in and of itself If you knew what we went through But but it it came to fruition and you know what it was so worth it It was so worth it and I'm so thankful to these editors. I'm so thankful to these contributors because the contributors were fire, man It's for they are they are ridiculous. They are just ridiculous Let's get into some of those anecdotes Because we know that the life of a of a professor at hbc one who particularly who is tenure track um Is a unique experience and it truly is a labor of love and there's so many stories to tell about tenure and promotion about resources about student engagement and student advisement um about you know research um And and scholarly promotion. What are some of the anecdotes that stuck out stuck out to you in this book that if they don't tell A core story of being a a black faculty member Communicate, you know the the value of doing so in the face of such obstacles Well, they You know There's a saying, you know, if if you're not at the table, you're probably going to be what's for dinner right And and and what has happened is so many times especially for black professors and not just in In hbc used just black professorship um In and of itself it it offers a number of of challenges And a number of rewards right and so um the bravery the the the bravery with which each of these Contributors have stepped forward and and I like to tell them they have opened up. They've put their academic hearts On the pages of this book It it it takes a lot to do that because uh, believe it or not. There's a lot of politics involved in high area Did you know that mr? You wouldn't believe it Teach they told me when I came from elementary at all I would do. It's teach I get here and find out There are three pillars to this thing teaching research and service service Other beast on the side that's called politics And It's interesting because at the moment we're having this conversation part of the I guess the national conversation around black faculty Is revolving around corner west at harvard Who has come out, you know in recent days and said, you know, I was denied tenure or the opportunity for tenure and review Because of of you know, what the school says is is you know research and scholarly basis But he had a position that it could be based on some of his teachings and writings and and public commentary On things like is rarely occupation And other really touchstones of of racial or social contention Is that something that is faced by black faculty across the spectrum? And what is that? The politics that you mentioned that they I would imagine and not quite the same at hbc use But how do they look at hbc use as as opposed to a corner west or somebody at a pwy? It's very different. I mean, I I recognize that. I mean, I I'm a product of a pwi I didn't attend an hbcu I married a rattler He's good. He's a rattler, but I I didn't attend an hbcu and so um having come come into the hbcu spectrum I recognize very quickly that I had a lot to learn and and so it's very funny I always tell people the first book I ever edited was about what hbcu use because I recognize very quickly the importance of them the How important they are to to to who we are as a country and who we are as a people I mean that very quickly helped me to understand being positioned where they are but the politics are very different and I and I see that as a professor as as a faculty member inside the and so Seeing what has happened to dr. West and and knowing that you know, even the stakes there the politics You know, I'm I I recognize the freedoms that I have in an hbcu. I recognize how the conversations are different I recognize um, I'm very I'm acutely aware of of how those conversations are very different there But I'm also acutely aware culturally of of where I am um I know myself and I also know I know my culture and and so um In knowing that you you you recognize that there are um, there are burdens to that That that we we oftentimes may not necessarily be very vocal about if you will But it presents its own set of of challenges. There are thorns there and um And and in the words of obry drake, they don't have no rewards for that. That's not Some of these some of these rewards are not you know They're they're not the high stakes rewards that we we signed up for. Um Some of them are heart rewards. We like to call them in teaching. They're they're they're they're not high stakes They're not the hard. They're the heart rewards and they don't pay a lot if you will But we get them, you know, they come in other forms. And so I think that's what's happened with this book Um, particularly with the contributors We we we have these chapters where you know, they talk about the fact that we have these bad boards, right these these boards that that are built around um stakeholders who are our gatekeepers Hmm the these folks who have been in the game so long and and aren't okay with you know free thinkers or Thinkers outside of the box coming along and making decisions We've got contributors like doctor novell tani from from fam you who has written a chapter with all of his graduate students Who does they Who lets graduate students come on to a book chapter and write with them, right? unheard of we've got contributors like, um Dr. Levan esters who's a full professor at purdue university. He wrote the epilogue for our book, you know stressing how important how important mentoring is shout out to dr. Levan esters. I call him dr Lester's he's gonna get mad at me Lester's with his map program and may pp at purdue university You know talking about how important mentoring is he really has a heart for that, you know And these things we don't necessarily they don't get written down a check Right, we do that Because we know the importance of keeping this pipeline open And and this is one of the things that dr. Hilton and I talked about many many years ago when we um When we met when we won the a a b h e the american association for blacks in higher education Dissertation awards back in maybe 2009 We were both the awardees and and on that very same weekend Dr. Hilton was the top 30 under 30 in ebony magazine And and we were in the grocery store cashing our I shouldn't tell the story should I You should When that we were in the grocery store in atlanta cashing our checks before the conference was even over they gave us They gave us these like $500 checks for winning the dissertation awards, right? And we're out cashing because we were going out that night. We're so happy We're gonna go spin our checks we're going out to eat and he was like, oh, I'm in the magazine And I'm like, what are you in the magazine for dude and I open it up and he's in there for top 30 under 30 I'm like, are you kidding me? This is really you. I'm looking at the magazine. I'm looking at him We are in the grocery store, right? And he is in the back Who are you? I'm gonna ride with you, dude That was that was in 2009 And we we are literally I'm gonna tell you where we went. Okay, I'm gonna tell you where we went some place downtown We're gonna how we're gonna open doors for for other black students, you know We become professors when we when we get in the game and now to see our dreams come to fruition and to see these wonderful Contributors, you know, recognizing that dr. Henry Fryerson has opened doors for us and and we want to do the same thing you know Seeing us build to that place It gives me so much Gratitude and so much, um Honor to be able to do that and I'm very very grateful especially to publishing companies like emerald even this month Black history month that they would put on a pedestal, you know Celebrating black history and offering the first chapter of this book for free So if you are listening right now to to this podcast if you are watching right now Please go to emerald publishing and download the first chapter of our book The beauty and the burden of being a black professor for free all this month Right and if you're listening you can also all of your listeners You can purchase the book either on amazon or you can go to emerald publishing and public and um get the book For 30 off using the code emerald 30 We'll be sure to have that listed below so folks can definitely take advantage of that Let's talk real quick about the Uh, the the dichotomy between the the pedagogy and the politics of being a black professor There's so much that you want to embed in a curriculum So much you want to embed in your mentoring of folks who are coming up under you at any level back glory or graduate And then there's the politics of what you can teach Um, what the expectation is in the academy for a department For a school or college and then for the university at large Are there ways that those things work together? Are there ways are there profound ways that they are in conflict? There are profound ways that they are in conflict. Um, and we always talk about academic freedom in in higher education and um You know, we we we want to be free Everybody wants to be free. Um, but I don't know many institutions. I and I was thinking about this this morning I don't know many institutions Do you know of any whose president? Also has the name of the institution on the front of So all these people that are revered as you know, the the presidents the provost I don't know any institutions for which If the president were to god forbid pass away tomorrow That institution is going to be a wreck and That person's name is on the front of it, right? So we are essentially all of us are working for institutions Even the presidents even the provost We are continuing on something that will Live perpetually beyond our names and so we are something else beyond our names And so to me that means that What we go in with and what we do is dependent upon What we believe in and what we believe carries and so we're always taking a chance We're always fighting against You know these these um institutional Guards we're always fighting against. You know what we believe in No matter where we are No matter where you stay in even in hbc use even in msis And so, you know, I think particularly with the contributors to to you know, this text and and and you know And shout out to all its teachers honestly. I'm a teacher's teacher. I'm a former second grade teacher We're always pushing against the grain to make sure that students are receiving the best of us right And that doesn't always fit into everyone's political or or or social construct and um It's it's a difficult decision every day. And so I applaud Everyone who does that and and so if you get a if you have an opportunity Check out particularly, you know, when you're looking through and looking at the chapters Um And and looking at this book and deciding what you want to read in it Take a good look at the chapters because these these authors have have really given their stories There's even a story. There's even a a narrative in here from dr. Carlos minor and he pretty much gives you an an essay And tells you what not to do He tells you he literally gives you and and I appreciate this so much shout out to to Carlos minor because he is I do this in my classes as well. I always tell him. I only made two mistakes in life In my whole career and I'm gonna tell you about them. Hope you don't make them Well, you got the one mistake you made got him kicked out of iread And how bold is that to do that for everyone else so that You don't make the same mistake and he essentially tells you this is how I got black ball And how many of us have gotten black ball? Forget about career. How many of us got black balled out of Divine nine, right? I'm How many of us like hmm out of those organizations? How many of us get And you look back and you're like, well, what wait a minute. I didn't even mean to Whoa If somebody had told me that if I had Talked to so-and-so if somebody told me if I go into that party You don't even know you're doing it. Why are you doing and so I just think it's so bold What these what these authors what these contributors have done and so I really think this is one of those books that you know, you bring into your classroom You bring into your higher education classroom. You're gonna find that your students Are going to appreciate this on a level that You you haven't seen before you you want them to read a text and then I'm not reading tonight I got enough homework and enough to do this is the one that they're gonna pick up and be like I can relate to that. I can relate to that. What's and then the last question again We're so appreciative of your time. What's what's the one Point of optimism that you would give folks who want to be In the academy and particularly those who want to be on a leadership or an executive track Because I don't think you do all this work in the end game is to finish where you started So what is the one thing that you tell people aside from the joy of teaching And endowing, you know students with with information in preparation for a career and for life What's the one thing you tell them? You know what stick with it because it's worthwhile if you do these things I think moments like this Moments like this being able to chat with you The the opportunities Like this, um knowing that there's a there's a light At the end of the tunnel knowing that you can um that people have have made opportunities for all of those times when you feel like you've gotten shot down Um There are there those little bursts of light when you know you've done something good for others. Um, it's that That email that you get late in the evening that you know, you've made a difference In in someone's life, um It's that little tweet that reminds you that you know, you're okay You're doing you're doing a swell job. Um It's that mentorship It's that little it's that little seed that you plant for every person. It's the the tenure and promotion approval that Every single one of and i'm saying it right now because I know it's going to happen every single one of these Contributors to this book and even the graduate students who are working their butts off who've gotten this opportunity To to have their name in the pages of a book Like I couldn't dream of that as a graduate student. I didn't even have a publication Nobody told me this was possible. It's that type of thing that makes it all worthwhile to me and It makes everything else that seems So hard and so hurtful even in these times that we're in It doesn't even matter because this is what it's all about. Follow me on twitter at dr. Charon davis At d r c h e r o n d a v i s