Today, nearly 400 years after the first enslaved Africans were brought to Virginia and nearly 150 years after the end U.S. chattel slavery, there probably shouldn’t be so many Black firsts. The fact that in 2008 there were still so many academic programs that had never previously graduated any Black students and so man administrative posts that have never before been filed by a person of African descent is a as surprising as it is troubling. Indeed many of the “Black firsts” listed below have expressed this very sentiment. Upon discovering that they are the “first” to accomplish a particular milestone, many of these modern-day pioneers expressed feelings of pride and satisfaction, but mingled with surprise and even sadness. Most were not, after all, setting out to be pioneers. Rather, they were simply pursuing a intellectual passion or career path.

There are two ways to interpret the phenomenon of Black firsts. The more negative analysis is that racism continues to allow only a trickle of African Americans to achieve in certain areas, and only at certain institutions. A more optimistic perspective, which I favor, is that as we move towards the second decade of the 21st century, the obstacles that had previously limited African American progress in specific areas and on particular campuses are falling away so swiftly that this decade and the next will be characterized by a wave of Black firsts, as African Americans move rapidly into those fields and positions that had previously been closed to them.

So here’s a toast to the Black Firsts of 2008! Congratulations on your outstanding achievements, and best wishes for continued success in the future.

• On December 23 Mike Haywood, a former Notre Dame football player and 1986 graduate, became the first Black head coach in Miami University football history and only the sixth Black head football coach in Division I.
• In late December DeWayne Walker became the first Black head coach in the history of New Mexico State University. Walker will be leaving his former post as UCLA’s defensive coordinator. His appointment makes him the seventh Black head football coach in Division I.
• The University of Maryland Eastern Shore became the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to receive accreditation for its Golf Management Program. The program will be available to business students focusing in hospitality administration or marketing.
• On June 1 Evelynn Hammonds, the University’s senior vice provost for Faculty Development and Diversity and the Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science and of African and African American Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, became the first African American and the first woman appointed to the post of Dean of Harvard College.
• Tamara L. King became the first African American selected to serve as president of the Association for Student Judicial Affairs. Ms. King is a graduate of Penn State University and NYU Law School. She is the director of judicial programs at Washington University in St. Louis.

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Tom Williams

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The Yale Daily News has reported that Jacksonville Jaguars defensive assistant Tom Williams will replace Jack Siedlecki as the Yale University head football coach. Williams will be the 33rd football coach to serve at the University, whose college football program is one of the oldest in the United States. He is the first African American ever selected for this position, and only the second Black head football coach in Ivy League history.  In response to his selection, William issued this comment:

I am thrilled for this tremendous opportunity to be the head football coach at such a historic and fabled institution. I would like to thank president Levin, [athletic director] Tom Beckett and all of the people involved in this process for their time and efforts. I am dedicated to bringing an exciting brand of football that the Yale players and fan base will both embrace and enjoy.

—Sportsnetwork.com

Williams is a graduate of Stanford University, where played linebacker. He was a captain of Stanford’s 1992 Pac-10 championship team (a co-championship with Washington). After spending the 1993 season on the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad, he returned to Stanford to earn a master’s degree in university administration.

To read more on Tom Williams and his selection as Yale University first Black head football coach, click THIS link.

Posted by Ajuan Mance

Richard Theodore Greener (1844-1922), Harvard Class of 1870

Posted by Ajuan Mance

The new First Family on election night, Grant Park, Chicago.

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Last year, as I was compiling my list of five Reasons to Be Cheerful for 2007, I remarked that, “perceptions of Black people’s relationship to college and university education are progressing much more slowly than Black people’s real life achievements [in this area].”

I predict that we will eventually look back on 2008 as the  year when public perceptions of Black achievement finally began to catch with reality. The biggest reason for this is, of course, the election of Barack Obama as the first African American President of the United States. His high visibility and the high visibility of his family and his cabinet members and advisors has exposed Americans of all races to the existence of Black folks whose lives bear little or no resemblance to the negative stereotypes that dominant media depictions of our people and our community.

The success of the Obama campaign is not, however, the only news that Black people can feel proud of this year. The big news for 2008 is that in many ways Black students and the institutions that support them are doing a better job of educating young Black men and women than ever before. Few of these stories were front page news; but media attention is no measure of the significance of an achievement or an event and in 2008, as in 2007, African Americans had an awful lot to feel good about. In fact, anyone who cares about the freedom, education, and social justice will find much to be optimistic about in the following reports:

1. The election of the United States’ First Black president. It was the projection heard ’round the world. At 8pm Pacific Standard Time news outlets from coast to coast called the election in favor of Barack Obama; and they were right. This wasn’t a nail-biter like ’04 or a too-close-to-call debacle like ’00. The victory was decisive, and the effect was almost immediate. Nerdy Black kids all over the country breathed a sigh of relief as, in one fell swoop, Obama made it hip to be square. African Americans across the country reported a renewed faith in our stable-yet-flawed democracy as Black folks from California to Boston experienced unprecedented feelings of patriotism and belonging. And somewhere the ancestors were smiling.
2. HBCUs Continue to Prioritize Commitment to Low-Income Students. In late 2008 the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (JBHE) turned its focus to low-income students and the success of the nation’s flagship public universities at enrolling and educating this important population. JBHE found that at 42 of the nation’s 50 flagship universities, low-income students make up less that 25% of the overall student body. JBHE attributes this to the fact that flagship universities across the country rely heavily on SAT scores as a qualification for admissions. There is a strong correlation between family income and standardized test scores; as incomes go up, so do SAT scores. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) tend to place less emphasis on the SAT and other standardized measures and, thus, have been much more successful at attracting and enrolling low-income students. Indeed, at 89 of America’s 102 HBCUs, low-income students make up at least half of the student body. The flagship university with the highest proportion of students from families with an income lower than $55,000 is the University of New Mexico, with 45.3% receiving Pell Grants (federal grants to low-income students). The HBCU with the highest proportion of students from families with an income lower than $55,000 is Livingstone College, with 98.3% receiving Pell Grants.
3. Predominately White Colleges and Universities Celebrate Pioneering Black Students. Recent years have seen an increasing number of majority white colleges and universities taking significant steps to commemorate their pioneering Black students. From statues and scholarships commemorating early Black students and staff, to classroom buildings and endowed professorships named for pioneering Black athletes and scholars, institutions from coast to coast are setting up permanent tributes to those brave men and women who integrated their classrooms and residence halls. Consider these three highlights from the past year: 1) On September 27, Lafayette University dedicated a statue to the memory of David McDonogh, who was not only the College’s first Black graduate, but also the first enslaved Black person known to have earned a college degree. 2) On May 10, the U.S. Naval Academy dedicated the Wesley Brown Field House, named in honor of its first African American graduate. 3) In 2008, the University of Nebraska named an endowed professorship in honor of Aaron Douglas. Douglas, a noted figure in the Harlem Renaissance and a long-time Fisk University faculty member, made history at Nebraska in 1922 when he became the first African American to earn an art degree at the flagship campus.
4. Statistics Confirm that African Americans Continue to Makes Great Strides in Higher Education: Each year the Journal of Blacks In Higher Education provides a roster of data on Black educational attainment for the most recent year that statistics are available. In July 2008 JBHE reported that by 2006: the median earnings for African Americans with master’s degrees was equal to the median earnings of their white counterparts; the number of African Americans enrolled in graduate school had nearly tripled since 1990 (from 84,000 to 247,000), and the percentage of all graduates students who are Black reached 11.1% (African Americans make up 13% of the U.S. population); the percentage of African American children between the ages of 5 and 17 whose parents are college graduates had more than quadrupled, from 4.9% in 1979 to 21.2%.
5. Emory University Debuts It’s Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database: In 2008, Atlanta’s Emory University established a resource for scholars and researchers that provides an unprecedented look into a part of the African American past. The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database offers information on over 67,000 Africans transported on nearly 35,000 trans-Atlantic voyages between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Posted by Ajuan Mance

Ret. Senator Claiborne Pell (1918-2009)

He was not African American, he did not attend an HBCU, and he served as U.S. Senator from a state with very few Black people (Rhode Island); but countless African Americans owe their ability get a college education to his work on behalf of low-income college students. Claiborne Pell was largely responsible for creating the Pell Grant program, a federal financial aid program that has helped more than 60 million students pay for college.

Pell Grants are available to college students with family incomes of $55,000 or less, but most Pell Grants are awarded to students with family incomes of $20,000 or less. Many researchers use the number of Pell Grant recipients enrolled as a measure of a college’s commitment to educating low-income students. There are currently 102 federally recognized HBCUs in the United States, and students who qualify for Pell Grants make up the majority at 89 of these institutions. The HBCU with the lowest proportion of Pell Grant qualifiers is Howard University, at 32.5 percent.

In 2005, NAACP National Director of Education John H. Jackson defended the Pell Grant against the threat of budget cuts, noting that,

Over the years, the Pell Grant has been a major source of financial assistance for African American and Latino students seeking a college education. Recognizing that these populations are still underrepresented in America’s colleges and universities, it is both egregious and economically unwise for Congress and this administration to pay for budget shortfalls by enacting fiscal restrictions. These restrictions will impact the college and professional opportunities to minorities whose presence universities and corporations are already struggling to increase.

Claiborne Pell was born in 1918 to a wealthy and politically-active family. The Associated Press describes his upbringing and his entrance into politics:

Pell came from a political family and was a descendant of early New York landowners who lived among the old-money families in Newport. Five family members served in the House or Senate, including great-great-granduncle George M. Dallas, who was a senator from Pennsylvania in the 1830s and vice president under President James K. Polk in the 1840s. His father, Herbert Claiborne Pell, was a one-term representative from New York.

Pell graduated from Princeton in 1940, and served in the Coast Guard during World War II. He remained in the Coast Guard Reserve until retiring as a captain in 1978.

He participated in the 1945 San Francisco conference that drafted the United Nations charter and was a staunch defender of the institution throughout his life.

He served in the foreign service for seven years, holding diplomatic posts in Czechoslovakia and Italy, then returned to Rhode Island in the 1950s. He was elected to the Senate in 1960 after defeating two former governors in the Democratic primary.

— AP, Tuesday, January 1, 2009

Claiborne Pell is survived by his wife of 64 years, Nuala, and three children (a daughter died in 2006 at the age of 52).

Posted by Ajuan Mance

(Source: Library of Congress by way of Public Domain Clip Art)

Posted by Ajuan Mance

My opposition to Warren is specific. I believe a man who opposed same-sex marriage with the vehemence and public organizing of Warren should not offer the prayer at the inauguration. The inauguration belongs to all Americans. It is a moment of national unity. It is a symbolic rendering of our peaceful, democratic transitions of leadership.  It is an assertion of our collective identity rising above our partisan disagreements. It is not a time for division.

As I have envisioned my own joy about Lizzy [Elizabeth Alexander] taking the podium I have also allowed myself to feel the horror of LGBT communities the moment Warren asks us to bow our heads in prayer. It is absolutely equivalent to a southern segregationist who actively organized for anti-miscegenation laws invoking a blessing over my Thanksgiving dinner.  I don’t think so!  Obama is allowing Warren to  invoke a holy blessing on the second class citizenship of my fellow Americans. I don’t have words to express my disgust.

My sincerest thanks to SjP at Sojourner’s Place for recognizing Black on Campus with the Uber Amazing Blog Award. SjP is the creator of the highly-regarded Sojourner’s Place blog, winner of 2009 Best Online Commentator Award given by the Black Web Awards. I encourage you to drop by Sojourner’s Place, and make it a regular stop on your blog itinerary. Once again, my deepest thanks to SjP.

Black on Campus comes out of my passion for higher education, history, and the culture and heritage of my African Americans. It means a lot to me that something that comes out of such a personal interest has resonance with others.

As a recipient of this award, I have the privilege of choosing a handful blog to recognize in turn. I have chosen these 7 brilliant blogs and bloggers:

• The Happy Go Lucky Bachelor: Every time I stop in at this blog I end up staying for longer that I’d originally planned. Thought-provoking, humorous, and challenging, I love the candor and wit of these post by blogger Clnmike.
• Black Threads: An unique and outstanding effort from blogger, author, and master quilter Kyra Hicks. Don’t miss out on this one. It’s a wonderful tribute to a beautiful art form.
• Urban Science Adventures: When I think about Black bloggers, I usually think of political and social commentaries, opinion pieces, action alerts, and pop culture updates. DNLee challenges all of these notions in this wonderful blog on the science and wildlife that surrounds us everyday. Her Wordless Wednesday posts are my favorites, but check her blog any day. It’ll be well worth your time.
• Michelle Obama Watch: Up-to-the-minute coverage of America’s first first sista. Great images and interesting commentary.
• Raving Black Lunatic: A prolific and thoughtful blogger with engaging and challenging perspectives on politics, culture, and society. This one is well worth your time. RBL is a talented and provocative mind with a wonderful honesty and razor sharp wit.
• The Kitchen Table: The subtitle of this blog is “Conversations between Melissa Harris-Lacewell and Yolanda Pierce”; and when these two Princeton profs start talking, you will definitely want to listen. They share their perspectives on race, class, gender, religion and the intersection of all of these with current events. This blog will inspire, enthrall and educate.
• Black Women, Blow the Trumpet!: Intelligent, inspirational commentary on Black women and all of the issues that come to bear on our lives. This blogger is alternately compassionate and pragmatic, outspoken and real, but always understanding of the complexities of inhabiting the world in a body that is both female and Black.

Congratulations to all of these bloggers for their continued success in pushing the limits of journalism and commentary, and for remaining important and outspoken voices in the blogosphere. I will continue to read your blogs with great interest and anticipation.

Posted by Ajuan Mance

Alain Locke, dressed in full doctoral regalia (Harvard University,  Ph.D. in Philosophy, 1918).  Click HERE for a detailed biography of this pioneering Black intellectual, including his key role in the Harlem Renaissance.

Posted by Ajuan Mance

Students members of the (B.B.) Warfield eating club at Princeton Theological Seminary, 1926. The demographics have changed at lot in the 82 years since this photo was taken, but some of the old perceptions about racism and difference remain in place.

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On December 4, 2008 I published a blogpost on the call to action issued by a number of Black bloggers who were acting in response to a disturbing case of what was interpreted by many to be a case of unprovoked racial harrassment at the Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS).

The following is my response to the lengthy, sincere, and thoughful conversation that took place among the respondents to the original post.

The dialogue on this incident has been fascinating and, for the most part, productive. Speaking as an African American academic (but not as a representative of my home institution) I must say that I think can be difficult for Black Americans and other parties who are deeply offended by the writings in the publication in question to react with calm understanding because this type of gaffe/mistake/error in judgment is not new. These types of failed attempts at humor and satire have been occurring for decades.

I have to believe that those who are encouraging greater dialogue with and understanding and leniency for the writers of this publication may not realize that many of us Black folks who are responding to the racially offensive content are not just frustrated by this one incidents; we are also exhausted by the predictability of these  kinds of incidents. Indeed, so much of what has transpired at PTS is predictable. Every semester, on at least one campus here in the U.S., someone will pen something in the name of humor or satire that is patently offensive to one or more people of color groups. And in almost all of these cases, the writers and publishers of the offending article or poem or story or cartoon will accuse those who react with hurt, anger, or sadness of overreacting to a piece that was intended as satire or that was written to be “just a joke.”

The cycle is draining and disheartening — the perpetration of the event, the denials, the accusations of overreaction, and then the slow retreat of the event (over winter or summer break) into the general miasma of racial disregard and disrespect that hangs in the air on most majority-white campuses.

The event is often forgotten by the perpetrators, but never by those students of color who experience it as but another reminder that, for all the talk of a respect for diversity and difference, they are always already anomalies who exist perpetually at the margins of academe — intellectually, culturally, and politically.

Productivity and talent do not, in the end, carry enough weight or significance to deliver the Black student or faculty member into a space of true belonging in a majority-white academic establishment whose understanding of itself is predicated on the marginalization of those ways of knowing that people of color bring to the table.

I understand that the respondent named James is not interested in defending racism, and that he simply (and not so simply) wishes to keep open the avenues for dialogue.

I also understand, however, that if the experiences of Khadija, Rev. Lisa, Hagar’s Daughter, and Villager are anything like my own, then their/our patience for dialogue has worn thin after years of communicating the same message to the same constituency (people who are smart enough to know better), but with few positive results.