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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE December 23-29, 2009 Page A-2
Global Village
Black scholar fights for tenure
By Denise Stewart
40 different professors, and nues, newspapers everywhere the Black press to the nation. “We’re serving notice on
BlackAmericaweb.com
not having one who is Black,” are struggling to survive,” the General Motors, Ford, Toyota,
said Watkins who has been statement said.
“We have been the back-
bone and the foundation on
and other automotive compa-
A Black Syracuse Univer-
at Syracuse eight years. “It’s
Danny Bakewell, chair- which America was built,” he
nies and the automotive in-
sity professor who was denied
time for this to change.”
man of the 200-member Na- said. “And in this case, what
dustry that there will be no
tenure this spring is asking
Watkins founded a civil tional Newspaper Publishers we are realizing is that we con-
more business as usual.”
the institution’s chancellor
rights organization called the Association, was credited by tinue to be the foundation on Bakewell, NNPA founda-
to override a committee’s de-
Your Black World Coalition several members for help- which many of these corpora- tion chair Dorothy R. Leavell,
cision. And he is picking up
to publicly take on issues ing to spark the protest tions make their profits and Dallas Examiner publisher
support from civil rights activ-
facing Blacks in rural and by his firebrand lobbying develop their brands through- Mollie Belt and Chicago De-
ists in his effort.
urban America. Most recently around Capitol Hill. out the country and we’re not fender publisher Michael
Last week, the Rev. Al
he helped organize a march
Bakewell said he is delight-
going to continue to sit idly by House have begun a series of
Sharpton and former Geor-
in Missouri where a young
ed at the stance taken by the
and let them do that while the meetings with corporations
gia Rep. Cynthia McKinney
woman was facing a stiff jail
wrote letters to the chancellor
sentence because of an inci-
Boyce Watkins
CBC, but much more must be
very fabric of our community and have already made in-
on behalf of finance profes-
dent that stemmed from break-
continued Waters. “The banks
done to recognize the power of
is crumbling from within. roads.
sor Dr. Boyce Watkins. Jesse
ing line in a Wal-Mart store.
won’t lend them any money.
Jackson, founder of Rainbow/
They’re either closing down
As a frequent commentator
PUSH, called the provost and
or threatening to be closed
on mostly cable news shows,
chancellor, he said.
down. The joblessness is off
Watkins also has stirred his
the scale. Not only do we have
Watkins, an outspoken
share of critics. About two
long lines seeking unemploy-
social commentator who has
years ago, he took on Fox
ment, but on Thanksgiving
authored scholarly articles
News’ Bill O’Reilly after Wat-
Day around the country, in-
and books on finance and
kins said he made insensi-
cluding the scenes that came
social issues, says there is no
tive comments about a popu-
out of Atlanta and Los Ange-
basis for his denial.
lar soul food restaurant in
les, there were thousands of
“In 100 years, the busi-
Harlem.
people standing in line for
ness school at Syracuse has
Watkins insists that he will
turkeys and turkey dinners. In
not recommended tenure for
not hush his commentary be-
Los Angeles.”
a Black professor,” Watkins
cause that is what he chooses
Joblessness, frustration,
told BlackAmericaWeb.com.
to do as a Black academic. He
hopelessness – the sentiments
“That’s 100 years of saying
also writes on complex finan-
are synonymous from state to
we’re not good enough. And I
cial issues.
state.
refuse to accept that.”
Instead of denying tenure,
“They’re going through
Tenure means that a pro-
Watkins said in his case and
a tremendous desperation
fessor who has exhibited ex-
in similar cases across the
effort,” said Rep. David Scott
emplary academic scholarship
country, institutions should
(D-Ga.). “Even if you look at all
has a permanent job contract.
“acknowledge the value of
of your own newspapers, ad-
It also usually means higher
Black scholarship.”
vertising dollars are not there.
pay and more perks. We sit here as Congress people
Watkins said he and a
CBC might
with tremendous leverage and
Black female professor both
were considered for tenure in
escalate
power. It was so important for
us to use that leverage.”
the spring at the private insti-
protests
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.),
tution in upstate New York.
Both were denied. The provost
By Hazel Trice Edney
chairwoman of the Congres-
sional Black Caucus, is sup-
recently overturned the com-
WASHINGTON (NNPA) portive of the Financial Ser-
mittee’s decision and granted
– The ten Black members of vices Committee’s stance and
tenure for the female profes-
the powerful House Finance said in a statement following
sor, Watkins said.
Committee are still being ap- remarks by President Barack
Attempts to reach Syracuse
plauded by Black press and Obama on job creation and
officials were not successful.
other Black leaders for boldly economic growth:
In an article published earlier
boycotting a committee meet-
“President Obama’s speech
on Inside Higher Ed, univer-
ing in order to force a $4 bil-
was another sober reminder of
sity spokesman Kevin Morrow
lion allocation to benefit the
the important work we must
said it is Syracuse policy not
Black community.
do to grow our economy and
to discuss individual tenure create jobs. While we agree
cases.
They have told the NNPA
with the president that sup-
News Service that they plan to
Candidates are considered
port for small businesses, in-
escalate protests if lawmakers
for tenure based on “his or her
frastructure investment and
continue to ignore the suf-
record of accomplishment and
green jobs is essential, we
fering of their constituents,
potential to continue to make
also believe that much more
including advertising discrim-
high-quality and valuable con-
needs to be done, particularly
ination against Black newspa-
tributions in teaching, schol-
for those Americans who are
pers.
arship and service,” Morrow
hurting most.”
told Inside Higher Ed.
“We’re out of the box, we’re
What the ten Black mem-
full speed ahead and we are
In his letter to the chancel-
bers did was boycott the com-
not going to sit back and watch
lor, Sharpton, founder of the
mittee’s final vote on a broad-
our communities suffer in si-
National Action Network, said
sweeping financial overhaul
lence,” said U. S. Rep. Maxine
education is the civil rights
bill. Instead, they were over
Waters, the ranking Congres-
issue of the 21st century.
at the White House trying to
sional Black Caucus member
obtain greater funding for eco-
“We are always concerned
on the Committee, who led the
nomic advances in the Black
about the fairness, equality,
Dec. 2 boycott.
community. The vote passed
inclusion and access to oppor-
“The ten African-American narrowly, but the CBC’s action
tunity to all persons regard-
members of the Financial Ser- effectively forced $4 billion to
less of their ethnic or racial
vices Committee have cooper- the table to go directly toward
background,” Sharpton wrote
ated with the leadership, we helping people keep their
to Nancy Cantor. “We have
have cooperated with the ad- homes after they’ve lost their
been informed about some of
ministration, we have support- jobs.
the history regarding tenure
ed the bailout and now we’re
decisions and the university’s
In addition to the needs
saying, what do we get for all
business school. We hope that
of Black businesses, home
of this cooperation? What are
the process utilized in evalu-
owners and the jobless, a
we delivering to our communi-
ating Dr. Watkins and other
news release describing the
ties? And the answer is little
professors seeking tenure are
boycott specifically cited the
or nothing.”
fair and based upon equally
importance of spending fed-
applied criteria.”
Describing horrid condi- eral advertising dollars with
tions in their districts that Black newspapers.
Morrow told Inside Higher
clearly illustrate disparate suf-
Ed that Syracuse has 90 Black
“Like other businesses,
fering in the African-American
tenured faculty members and
access to capital has been a
communities, each of the ten
78 tenured faculty members
challenge for this industry as
members, in separate inter-
who are members of other mi-
well. With declining ad reve-
views, described what their
nority groups.
constituents are dealing with
Watkins said he believes
and told why they must con-
WBE Certified MBE Certified DBE Certified
the chancellor wants “to do
tinue to act.
the right thing,” which in his
“Members of the Congres-
case would mean granting
sional Black Caucus are being
tenure.
WHY
bombarded with requests for
The issue of tenure for
assistance by minority busi-
Black professors on predomi-
nesses that have no capital,”
nantly White campuses across
the country reflects a systemic
THE MICHIGAN
problem, Watkins said.
“Students too often go CHRONICLE
through college having 35 or
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