Word: afro-am
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...applaud the vigorous efforts of our Afro-American Studies department in recruitment of senior faculty; yet, I'd like to draw the distinction between progress due to amazing individuals within the Afro-Am department and progress due to a coherent administration policy or effort. Admirable success in a single department does not prove that the system and process of senior faculty hiring--as well as that for administrative positions--is open and equitable...
...congratulating our exemplary Afro-Am department, I hope I haven't understand the concerns of many students. Namely, there are zero Mexican-American or Puerto Rican-American senior faculty (a critical distinction to make here, as well as for Asian-American tenured professors, is that between ethnic American scholars and elite foreign scholars), zero Native American senior faculty and a gaping hole in our curriculum with regard to permanent ethnic studies courses...
...feathers. After all, as proponents of ethnic studies often argue--quite properly, in our view--for too long scholars have ignored the role of African-Americans and other ethnic groups in history. From this indisputable basis, however, they go on to reach a flawed conclusion. Programs like Harvard's Afro-Am Department are needed, they argue because they promote the multicultural perspective we have long lacked...
...only goes to show what a little commitment can do. Three years ago, when West refused a tenured post in Afro-Am, the department had only one tenured professor and a small, embittered group of concentrators who were certain that Harvard was not taking their needs seriously. Since then, Afro-Am has been transformed--not only because of Gates' charismatic leadership, but also because Bok and Rosovsky were willing to devote the resources to rebuilding Afro...
...ethnic studies--an area that sparks considerable enthusiasm among students and professors but one the University has so far only reluctantly moved forward on. Devoting the energy now to ailing departments and fledgling disciplines would likely yield results. The administration should take a lesson from the history of Afro...