Over the last few years, there has been national attention given to the social and racial injustices against Blacks and Hispanics across the United States. As a Black man over the age of 40, the first memory of what I believe to have been a blatant display of an injustice was on March 3, 1991, when I watched the Rodney King video. Mr. King laid on the ground in a fetal position while beaten with batons and kicked in the head repeatedly by Los Angeles police officers who claimed self-defense.
Recently, we were reminded of Rodney King’s injustice, watching the video and trial of the murder of George Floyd. Unfortunately, many victims of injustices are Black and Hispanic. Some of the now household names and incidents that have impacted the nation include Marcus Dixon, Genarlow Wilson, Jena 6, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Nicholas Chávez, Pedro Villanueva, Melissa Ventura, Anthony Nuñez, and Breonna Taylor. Then there are additional victims of injustices such as Elaine Bartlett, the Central Park 5, Kalief Browder, Regina Kelly, and Oscar Grant. Their stories have been told via books, documentaries, and even movies. And though this is a short list of names affected by injustices, there are politicians and citizens throughout the United States supporting banning the teaching of critical race theory in public education.
My township of Teaneck, New Jersey, recently renamed the street leading to Teaneck High School, “Black Lives Matter Way.” A few feet further, the high school named a section of the outdoor bleachers “Black Lives Matter.” The bleachers display the names of those who have lost their lives to an injustice. Unfamiliar with the name Phillip Pannell, I learned of an incident that took place in 1990 which resulted in the death of a Black teenager at the hands of a White Teaneck Police officer. The incident caused days of protests. I was shocked to learn of the incident that took place in Teaneck, a small, family oriented, diverse town located less than 4 miles from New York City’s Washington Heights/Harlem neighborhoods. As a resident of Teaneck, I refer to my block as the United Nations, which represents those of Jewish, Black, White, Hispanic, Asian-American, and LGBTQ+ backgrounds and lifestyles. We are all neighborly, cordial, and respectful. I would go as far as to say we are family. Impressed and inspired by the steps taken by the township of Teaneck and Teaneck High School, I reflected on the role of higher education institutions and organizations. How can they make advances to support this type of change?
As a graduate of Minority Serving Institutions, I thought about how important it is for these institutions to act on advancing social and racial justice. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) educate the next generation of leaders, advocates, policymakers, and politicians, mostly those of color, who will develop future laws and preside over criminal and civil cases. Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) supported, educated, and changed the lives of Marcus Dixon and Genarlow Wilson after they experienced revolting injustices.
Further exploring potential contributions that can be made in higher education to support social and racial justice, I focused on attempted changes that have been made. Some institutions have centered on minority male initiatives, established cultural competency trainings, changed their names, while others have hired Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs).
Chief Diversity Officers in Higher Education
Many postsecondary institutions have hired CDOs to create Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plans and to begin necessary work long overdue. Although a step in the right direction, this position is often engulfed in an internal political struggle. Should the role report to HR? the president? What are CDOs’ duties? At one community college, faculty argued for the position to be housed in academic affairs and controlled by faculty. While at other institutions, CDOs narrowly focus on resolving Title IX complaints. Today, many CDOs report directly to college presidents, yet often operate with no staff and scarce budgets necessary to make change.
