UC Berkeley Black Faculty Have Unique Struggle

On paper, UC Berkeley professor Leigh Raiford is similar to any other new faculty member in her qualifications and experience.

But Raiford is part of a distinct group-according to the most current UC figures, she is one of 12 black female faculty members on campus, a number that does not fill one row of a lecture hall.

About 3 percent of the more than 1,300 faculty members are black, a figure that troubles some on campus.

"For black prospects, there is no real avenue for acceptance in the university system, and there is no incentive for the university to recruit. The campus has regressed to how it was in the '60s," says Ethel Adams, chair of the campus' Black Staff and Faculty Organization.

During her first semester teaching in the African American Studies Department, Raiford has had to adjust to a community that largely does not reflect her heritage and background, she says.

"The university has been very accommodating to me in my time here, but it is very isolating," Raiford says. "African American faculty is suffering from desperate underrepresentation at UC Berkeley, and this mirrors the situation with students of color."

For some black professors, a faculty selection process based on Ivy League networks has created a barrier that has been very difficult to overcome, Raiford says.

"There exists what could best be called an ‘old boys network' in which universities recruit from only certain schools and prospects are referred from friends," she says.

Adams says a history of negative stereotypes have prevented black staff from advancing within their departments.

"The view is that blacks are confrontational, not docile enough," Adams says. "And perceptions also exist that we are not as hard-working as other groups. All of that continues to have a factor."

Some black staff and faculty members say that a repeal of Proposition 209, a 1997 law that barred the use of affirmative action practices in any public institution, would place

minorities back on the academic map. But the political atmosphere prevalent during many professors' recruitments has had a lasting impact on how they are perceived, they say.

Professor Percy Hintzen joined the UC Berkeley African American Studies department in 1979, when there was a sense of urgency and necessity for increased ethnic diversity in higher education, he says.

"The presence of minorities was justified politically rather than on intellect," Hintzen says. "This created the understanding that minorities were here not because of their qualifications, but because of politics. This led to a sense amongst minorities that they were never welcomed in the institution."

The pressure that arises in this environment of isolation and scarcity is overwhelming, Raiford says.

Black professors often feel obligated to be a role model for black students and "recruit minority students into academia," Hintzen says.

"There is an increased amount of pressure to speak on panels, volunteer, etc.," Raiford says. "Many faculty members of color came to the field to mentor and work closely with students. However, when it comes to forms of recognition, such as tenure, mentoring and other service activities matter very little in the (tenure) process."

Raiford says she often becomes an advisor for black students outside of her department because there are so few places where black students feel at home.

"Students take classes in the department only to feel that they're not alone," she says.

The exclusion experienced by black academics in the intellectual community has led to an exodus of faculty to communities where their needs are more prioritized, Adams says.

"People will head over to places like historically predominately black colleges and universities, where they don't have to deal with these issues and they can focus on their lifework rather than their defense," she says.

But Hintzen says building a community within the university is key to truly make a change.

"It would behoove faculty members to find other scholars amongst faculty and students who look like them and feel like them and who will understand their perspectives," he says.

Some view Proposition 209 and its legacy as part of the reason for the decline in the campus' number of minority faculty members.

Adams' organization works to combat the decline by providing support to faculty and staff and working for the continued retention and recruitment of black faculty and staff members.

Adams says the proposition has lowered the university's eagerness to recruit and promote black faculty and staff for fear of violating the law.

"Racism in the institution is not as overt, but people in the position of power are continuing to do the same things they were doing 30 years ago," Adams says.

However, Proposition 209's prohibitions do not apply to practices necessary to maintain UC's status as a federal program, meaning an "effective affirmative action" program is required by UC to be considered a federal contractor, according to the UC Web site.

"In many fields, the data reflects an underrepresentation of minorities pursuing doctoral education necessary to qualify for faculty appointments," according to UC's guidelines for faculty recruitment and retention. "Efforts must be made to expand the pipelines of minority students entering graduate programs."

Regardless of the politics of affirmative action and recruiting policies, the issue of black representation on campus continues to fuel debate.

"We are a part of the campus community," Adams says. "We do not want to be excluded any longer. They have to recognize that there are resources in the black community that can be utilized if they paid attention."

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