My dept has advertised this job. Please apply. But, as a Brown Muslim woman in this dept, I also have to some truth to share. Real talk. ❤️🙏🏽 THREAD.
First, for the record, I am a tenured Assoc Prof in this dept and have served on half a dozen EDI initiatives at the university. I am also a multiple award-winning researcher & lecturer. I have 2 teaching prizes AND 3 distinguished research prizes. /1
Bad news up front. You can tell from the job ad, this approach to EDI hiring is problematic. My friend and colleague Dr. Rinaldo Walcott highlighted the problems with the ad with this simple tweet. /2
But my dept’s response to this valid critique is everything you need to know. The next day, I received a hostile call from a white scholar warning me that she & other senior colleagues think that I am “un-collegial” and “undermining the dept”. /3
This is not the first time I received a threatening phone call, nor am I the only racialized scholar in the dept who has been intimidated. I have heard several of my colleagues disparage other Black & POC scholars. When I was pre-tenure, I was scared A LOT. /4
There is also a lot of silence. A few years ago, I was assaulted and called a “terrorist”, and it made the news. Not only did the dept say absolutely nothing (no statement, no support), but I heard that some colleagues rolled their eyes and mocked me. /5
This is a pattern. I actually have a copy of a resignation letter from a Black faculty member that says some of my colleagues called him the N-word and mocked his Caribbean heritage. I was forwarded this letter quietly. It has never been addressed publicly in my time here. /6
I’ve also heard my Black & POC colleagues be explicitly referred to as angry, disruptive, or not collegial. And I’ve observed strong incentives for POC scholars to present themselves as smiling “model minorities”, good for photo ops and service work. /7
Pre-tenure, I served on 7 service committees, 6 related to EDI. My service burden was high for a junior faculty member. No, compensation was not commensurate. No, the work did not lead to change. Yes, it was a distraction from my research agenda. /8
For many reasons, my dept has failed to hire BIPOC scholars, and has also repeatedly hired white scholars who study race. This job ad is an attempt to correct that lack of diversity, despite its flawed approach. BUT, here is why YOU SHOULD STILL APPLY. /9
First, UofT is the best school in Canada, a country with universal health care & many civil liberties. Toronto is extremely diverse & so you will find community here. Rents are high, but you can negotiate your starting salary . If made an offer, I will help you strategize. /10
Second, UofT has a high tenure success rate. In our dept, the requirement is that you need to publish a book with a university press. You will exceed this bar & get excellent job security. I am also happy to help you navigate book publishing & discuss getting you some prizes. /11
Third, you will not be alone. I am happy to be your friend & there are other nice people here, too. I can only speak for myself, but my newly tenured brown ass will stand up for you if someone tries to bully or intimidate you. /12
Finally, I'd personally love you to show up with your Black Feminist or Indigenous Political Theory, & burn it all down. My dept is not a safe harbour for BIPOC scholars. But we are not used to safe. We create safety for the next generation. Apply. I can’t wait to meet you. 🙏🏽❤️
