Provost: Diversity departments are safe

My name is Kathleen Rand Reed and I am an alumna of the University of Maryland, College Park. I am African American and was a returning student – over 40 when I was there. My experience there was horrible and filled with racism and sexism. Had I not been strong-willed from my former Chicago urban encounters, my Department Chairman, who was a first generation educated Italian and who was as pompous and “White” as he could muster, would have debilitated my spirit. He once told me how “lucky” I was that the University LET ME attend the campus. I told him, “I’m bringing more “real world experience” to the educational table than I’ll ever take away.” As a mature student who lived in the Midwest and the West Coast, I have seen and experienced the ways in which large, behemoth institutions hire people of color, gays, and women, to satisfy the “movement of the moment.” However, the underlying belief is when the tide turns, we’ll (White males) dismantle this insanity and turn things back to the WAY THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE. The problem with this latest move by UMCP is that they’re on the wrong side of demographic reality and the wrong side of what is of VALUE to its White students. Today, astute and smart White students have read the US demographic tea leaves. They know in their bones that in a global economy, with North Atlantic Europeans less than 6% of the world’s populations, they’d better have some people of color on their Rolodex and learn something about them. Already Whites who used to be the “norm and invisible” are now being named: “Gabachos” in Mexico, “Haoles” in Hawaii, “Anglos” in the Southwest and West Coast. Europe has so many Muslims; it is often referred to as “Eurabia.” In short, UMCP administration: “Ozzie and Harriet and the 1950s are dead.” The old, White UMCP administration thinks the best way to compete for the suburban, White, wealthy parents’ business is to ethnically cleanse the campus and assure that, “We don’t have THOSE Afro-programs, anymore!” How dumb. Driving and speeding backwards, looking through the rear view mirror, thinking the “future” is just a bit up ahead. The UMCP students are spot on in demanding, (1) Black’s reinstatement, (2) release of budget and diversity records, and a halt to all personnel and department shuffles and layoffs until students and faculty can provide more input. President Mote and Provost Farvardin need to take some of that UM rebranding money and put it into the budget of the Nyumburu Cultural Center and Prof. Black’s salary. To do otherwise is to have brought back the OLD brand of UMaryland – the University that excluded Thurgood Marshall in 1930 and excluded Cordell Black eighty years later.

As my mother used to say: "A LITTLE BITOF KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING!!!!"

RogerW - with all due respect, you clearly do not have an understanding of, and certainly not an appreciation for, what Dr. Black has done for the University of Maryland - minority and majority students, administration, faculty and staff - during his 30 year tenure, only the last 18 as the Assistant Provost for Equity and Diversity. May I suggest that you not believe everything that is said, written or promised, but rather conduct your own research, attend events to collect information first hand and talk to others who in fact know what similar types of promises have been made and broken in the past all in the name of avoiding negative publicity.

Yes these are tough economic times, but anytime the university elects to spend over $250,000 to develop a new ad campaign - (who knows how much more on the post development branding) - over the salary of a tenured professor and committed member of the administration's personnel, we as students and taxpayers should be demanding "restructuring" at the very top.

As for teaching, Dr. Black was clear in his words to those who actually attended the event tonight at Nyumburu that his reasons for not returning to the classroom were not selfish, but rather the result of self-evaluation and consideration of the student body. He noted that he recently loss his wife and was not certain if he could offer students the type of instruction they needed and deserved in an academic setting. By no means is his decision related to the loss of a silly job title. Dr. Black has accomplished too much - in and outside of the classroom - to ever be silenced by the misguided decisions of the University. Students, faculty, staff and alumni will do whatever is necessary to make sure Dr. Black continues in his role as the champion for equity and diversity. To have it any other way would be a tragedy for us all.

"The e-mail said Black will likely return to teaching, but in an interview earlier today Black said he’s not sure he has the energy — or reason — to teach anymore."

Okay....Tough economic times call for restructuring in ways not everyone will be happy about. The fact that there are up to 7 other positions similar to Black's facing similar restructuring demonstrates this is not an attempt by Mote or senior administrators to "destroy" diversity on this campus. On the contrary, anyone who attended the diversity town hall meeting the other week knows that this is an issue that the university is moving forward with in a real progressive, albeit controversial, way. The diversity plan the university is proposing will create a Vice President-level position for a chief diversity officer, a position arguably stronger than the current "assistant-provost" role. 18 years is a good run. I only see room for growth in this transitional period.

As for not having a "reason" to teach anymore. That would be a shame if the mere loss of a title was enough to silence a man who had devoted his career to this important issue. If there's any place that needs the most attention and has the greatest educational impact, it's in the classroom.