D2: The Reality of Discrimination Against “Minority” Professors: Consequences, Impact, and Alternatives

“Minority” college professors often face different expressions of discrimination, racism, and marginalization in the institutions where they teach. The issue has been abundantly documented, but its emotional and pedagogical consequences are seldom explored, much less shared with administrators, fellow instructors, or students. Based on recent research done by the American Philosophical association and on personal experiences and interviews of the presenter, this session explores the reality of discrimination of “minority” college professors (even by unwilling participants), how that situation affects both the professor and his/her students, and what alternatives exist or could be developed to rectify the situation. Far from being just statistics or case studies, this session unapologetically, but respectfully, delves into a mostly unknown area of diversity and integration (or lack of thereof) in colleges and universities. Yet, there is no “victim mentality” to be presented, but an invitation to a communitarian search for a new, creative path of authentic respect and recognition.