Nikole Hannah-Jones No Longer Has Immediate Tenure at UNC. What Happened?

After graduating from the University of North Carolina’s (UNC) Hussman School of Journalism and Media in 2003, Nikole Hannah-Jones could not have possibly known that her alma mater would one day ask her to return as a faculty member.

She also could not have known the controversy that appointment would bring. 

In late April, UNC offered its prestigious tenured Knight Chair of Race and Investigative Reporting to Hannah-Jones, the brain behind the New York Times’ 1619 Project — a longform journalistic undertaking that has influenced national conversations on race by placing slavery and the achievements of Black people at the forefront of the national narrative. 

At the time of the announcement, Dean of UNC Hussman Susan King called Hannah-Jones’ appointment “the story of a leader returning to a place that transformed her life and career trajectory.”

“Giving back is part of Nikole’s DNA,” King continued, “and now one of the most respected investigative journalists in America will be working with our students on projects that will move their careers forward and ignite critically important conversations.”

Three weeks later, however, UNC walked back on its initial offer. Instead of receiving immediate tenure, Hannah-Jones will now be hired on a five-year contract beginning July 1, with the option of being reviewed for tenure at the end. 

The cause for the demotion? According to an email King shared with faculty on Sunday, the board of trustees “did not act on tenure” when her case was presented. Or, as UNC Board of Trustees Chairman Richard Stevens allegedly told IndyWeek, the board — which has the authority to approve all tenure appointments — never even voted on the decision. It instead reached “a work around” to prevent the decision from coming to vote in the first place.