Is it really "inclusion" if you're inviting a black faculty member into a culture of white supremacy? How race neutral (or not) is academia and the departments within them? Why do people devalue or criticize senior positions focusing on diversity and inclusion?
These are some of the questions we tackle in the season one finale of 68th St. In this episode, I chat with my former Ph.D. advisor from my time at Texas A&M University, Dr. John N. Singer. He's currently an Associate Professor of Sport Management at Texas A&M University and also serves as an Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion within the College of Education and Human Development. We begin our conversation by recalling our first "racialized" experiences, then moving on to converse about a number of things concerning race in academia. This includes both of our experiences as students and faculty at predominantly white institutions of higher education. One highlight is the different set of "rules" that black faculty and other persons of color often experience in academia. Given his role as an Associate Dean, Dr. Singer also explains how we can move forward in academia, while discussing how recent athlete protests impacts his role in leadership.
Music: District Four by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3662-district-four