People of Color in Predominantly White Institutions
Different Perspectives on Majority Rules: 8th Annual National Conference (2003)
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Date of this Version
November 2003
Document Type
Article
Abstract
As an African-American female at a predominantly White college, I feel the added senseof duty that other women and minorities in academia frequently feel, the pull to serve not only as a teacher but also as a mentor, advisor, and role model for minority students on campus. As one of two professors who teach African American Literature and Culture - and the only African American -I also feel, perhaps mistakenly, as if I am viewed by the White students, and maybe by the African American students as well, as the ambassador to African-American culture. I sense that the White students expect to learn everything about Black culture from me, in fifteen weeks. I am not merely teaching a subject, then, but representing it as well. As I learned over the past three years at this college, the role of minority professor at a predominantly white college is one of constant negotiation