New Book Explores The ‘Conditional’ Acceptance Of Faculty Of Color

Eric Joy Denise and Bertin M. Louis Jr. are the editors of a new book titled Conditionally Accepted: Navigating Higher Education from the Margins. The book is a collection of essays written by scholars of color about how to “thrive, survive, and resist” in colleges and universities.

As the editors illustrate, the majority (75%) of college and university faculty in the nation are white. In comparison, African Americans comprise only 5.5%, Latinx faculty make up 5.1%, and Indigenous faculty represent less than 0.5% of the teaching force. Denise and Louis Jr. argue that “the status of minoritized scholars in academia is an inherently precarious one, no matter one’s professional rank.” Specifically, they state “We consistently face the difficult choice between our professional success and our personal survival as minoritized people within oppressive institutions” (p. 3).

The book is based on a very popular academic blog, which has become a nationally recognized platform for faculty of color. The editors hope to share experiences and give voice to the stories of minoritized faculty across a diversity of college and university campuses.

Denise and Louis Jr organize the book into four parts: 1.) Navigating our way within (or out of) academia, which offers first-hand advice on pursuing faculty careers as well as other careers that are possible with a Ph.d. Operating with Black Feminism in mind, the authors in this section are insistent that it is essential to create a life and professional path that maintains authenticity and commits to racial justice. 2.) Disciplinary and institutional betrayals, which is focused on how institutions failed to protect scholars of color as they pursued their research and teaching. Major themes are invisibility, auto ethnography (telling one’s story), and reclaiming one’s story of rejection. 3.) Diversity rhetoric and empty promises, which explores how colleges and universities fail to live up to their missions, which they say are focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The chapters examine structural barriers that impede the progress of faculty of color as well as tokenism. 4.) Transforming the academy and beyond, which asks readers to take action and focus their efforts on justice in the academy. The authors of these chapters share their personal stories as inspiration and examples for those faculty who come after them.

According to Brittney Cooper,¹ author of Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower, “the book is a resource guide and a resting place for wearied, brilliant souls.”

Perhaps what is most interesting about the collection of writings is the diversity among them. There is diversity in terms of the authors’ identities, which is rich, but there is also diversity of thought and variety in the way the writings are presented. Some of the chapters are in interview form, while some are theoretical and still others are deeply practical and focused on ensuring that faculty of color are successful and have harmonious lives that they shape and desire. As Anthony Ocampo, author of Brown and Gay in LA: The Lives of Immigrant Sons, stated the beauty of the volume is “the art of personal storytelling.”

Overall, Conditionally Accepted challenges readers to confront the uncomfortable truths embedded within academia. The editors and authors urge us to consider the toll that systemic racism takes on people of color and the need for meaningful change. As readers engage with the diverse voices and experiences within the book, they will be compelled to reflect not only on the struggles of minoritized scholars but also on the collective responsibility to dismantle oppressive structures. The editors remind us that the pursuit of knowledge cannot be divorced from the pursuit of justice.