Friday, May 22, 2009

Dr Billy Hawkins on the Dr. Boyce Tenure Case

Dr. Billy Hawkins, University of Georgia

A typical error Black academics make is to believe that the academy is open and accepting of new ideas and insights. They initially welcome us with open arms, but we soon find out that the shelf life of this welcome is brief and that their minds were never really open and accepting. I have come to think of it in terms of the structural deficiencies and inability of these institutions to sincerely assimilate fresh new perspectives and energies into their paradigms. Therefore, in the context of the phrase “new wine in old wineskins” the evolutionary Messiah, Jesus Christ, informs of the perils of progressive thinking within an archaic system.

Dr. Boyce Watkins lack of tenure at the University of Syracuse speaks to this issue and to the broader issue of how Predominantly White Institutions are more conservative and myopic in their agendas, curricula, and missions than they are progressive and bastions of forward-thinkers. The tenure process has always worked as a mechanism to temper and corral the radical embers that spark change from the status quo and challenge previous preconceived notions. Inherent in the tenure and promotion process are prescriptions for appropriate behavior and academic inquiry. Speaking truth to power is not one of the prescriptions rewarded in this process, especially if you are a Black professor.

Click to read.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a racist comment. Statements like this prove Boyce's case more than anything. Universities are not supposed to run like corporations, where you fire anyone who is not going along with the program. They are supposed to be places that support freedom of ideas. Syracuse failed that test miserably.

Anonymous said...

Perfect commentary. This is exactly the kind of support black scholars must give one another, in order to help them deal with the racism in our universities. If we do not stick together, the racists are going to win.

Anonymous said...

"...racism in our universities."

Universities are the most left leaning institutions in America. I think the first poster is right. Dr. Watkins just didn't publish enough in A level journals. Check his CV out.

Anonymous said...

Dr Watkins is the most established finance professor in the history of Syracuse University. Even Barack Obama has called on him for his expertise. If someone thinks that this is less significant than publishing in journals controlled by a white boy network, they are obviously as simple minded as other academics.

Anonymous said...

"Even Barack Obama has called on him for his expertise."

LOL!

Anonymous said...

Watkins is respected throughout the world. The idea that they would deem him unqualified to be at their institution, when they have done that to nearly every black person affiliated with the university (except basketball players) says more about their judgment than anything else. I would love to have Boyce here at Columbia with me. He is an outstanding scholar.

GAH said...

When you write commentaries like this, you cheapen the accomplishments of all black academics. I busted my ass, published in good journals, studied hard and taught good classes but somehow Boyce has reduced me to some boot-licking house boy. I can guarantee that no good-ol-boy insider network helped me publish a damn thing. If Boyce is to believed, then my accomplishment should be celebrated given the white establishment built up against me.

Finally, being popular in the media or "with the people" does not show competence in a field. If I were the "most well known surgeon" on the planet but couldn't cut a straight line, I'd be called a fraud (and rightly so).

You know the things (even if these people don't) that we studied so damned hard to learn how to do but then you act like we aren't expected to use it like these white guys. You're selling us out. Not me.

Anonymous said...

This commentary is perfect for the world in which we live. Academics are about the most elitist, detached group of people in the world. Nobody cares that you spent all that time in school if you are not helping your community. By reaching out to the people, Dr. Watkins and Dr. Hawkins are showing a type of brilliance that few academics actually possess. Book smarts are not the same as actual smarts. Academics need to learn that.

JJ said...

Black scholars have sold out the black community by letting white folks determine their agenda and keep them in their offices. If you can't do things that help the community, then you have no value to the community. That goes for all of the black academics who sit at white universities, teaching white kids and doing white research. It's all a waste of time.

GAH said...

I'd agree that book smarts aren't the same as acutal smarts. But if that's the case, why did Boyce go get the book smarts? If he wanted to "help the people," he could have done that without being in school. So why even go to Syracuse?

We do research on subjects of interest. Sometimes we even help the world. Where do you think public policy and new advances in medicines come from?

If I'm a waste of time then Boyce is too. Even though they aren't in good journals, he has written work called "The economic and predictive value of trading volume growth: a tale of 3 moments" and "Do emerging markets with consistent returns have better future performance?". And he published them in elistist journals hoping to get tenure.

AND Boyce was at a WHITE university teaching WHITE students and wanted to stay and keep doing it.

There is no such thing as "white research" so I have no idea what you mean by that. Unless someone is studying white people.

Anonymous said...

GAH - you are only a waste if you choose to be. If you are allowing white dominated values of scholarship to dictate your agenda, then you may as well have never gone to school in the first place. you should be following Dr. Boyce's lead and reaching out to your people.

Anonymous said...

Powerful words Dr. Hawkins. Black men should stand together and support one another.

Anonymous said...

"If you are allowing white dominated values of scholarship to dictate your agenda,..."

Pray tell what are black values of scholarship? Should we look to graduation rates? Or should we just talk shit and present no real answers or solutions?

JJ said...

White people wrote the rules. Top black scholars should be rewriting them. Instead, they are just following the program. Sad. Keep it going Dr B, we're behind you!

Anonymous said...

Right on JJ. That's exactly right. We also need to make sure that we don't let them distract us with their hate speech. They are going to always keep delivering that. Actually, when they give more hate, that means that we are doing something right.

Anonymous said...

"Right on JJ?"

Not hatin but is this www.goodtimes.com?

Anonymous said...

Dr Billy Hawkins, I think you are one of the top black scholars on the planet. I love your writing sir.