Making The Grade: It’s Blackademic: young and black in the academia

I wasn’t necessarily in love with my major department at my undergraduate institution, though I had some fairly decent professors. Then came the semester I took Blacks in Film as an elective. I then took African American Studies, and then a summer semester Harlem Renaissance course at a local community…

…It means that there are too few examples for black students to model themselves after and that many don’t see the option. Dr. John Barker, Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education at the University of Miami gives a prime example. When he speaks to new groups of mostly minority students, he has them do a visualization exercise, in which students picture a faculty member and then give a description. “Nine out of 10 picture one who is white,” says Barker.

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