There Can Be More Than One: A Black Man’s Journey Through the Academy

• Author: Robert A. Brown
• Published date: 01 July 2021
• Date: 01 July 2021
• DOI: 10.1177/21533687211001917
• Subject Matter: Articles

Article

There Can Be More Than

One: A Black Man’s Journey

Through the Academy

Robert A. Brown

1

Abstract

The underrepresentation of Black Americans as graduate students and faculty in

Criminology and Criminal Justice programs is well-recognized. This essay discusses

some of the dynamics of the academy that potentially contribute to the lack of Black

representation at the highest levels of the academy. Through the sharing of various

experiences, this essay sheds light on how the dearth of Black men in the academy

creates challenges for the few Black men that do exist in the academy.

Keywords

Black American, Black lives, Black men, Black professor, racial isolation, cultural

taxation, underrepresentation

James Baldwin is well recognized for articulating the psychological and emotional

conflict that some Black Americans endure:

To be a Negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a state of rage

almost, almostall of the time—and in one’s work. And part of the rage is this:It isn’t only

what is happeningto you. But it’s what’s happeningall around you and all of thetime in the

face of the mostextraordinary and criminal indifference, indifferenceof most White people

in this country,and their ignorance. Now, since thisis so, it’s a great temptation to simplify

the issuesunder the illusion that if you simplifythem enough, people willrecognize them. I

think this illusionis very dangerous because, in fact, it isn’tthe way it works. A complex

thing can’t be madesimple. You simply have to try to deal with it in all its complexity and

hope to get that complexity across. (Baldwin et al., 1961, p. 205)

1

Department of Criminal Justice, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA

Corresponding Author:

Robert A. Brown, Department of Criminal Justice, North Carolina Central University, Durham,

NC 27712, USA.

Email: rabrown@nccu.edu

Race and Justice

2021, Vol. 11(3) 276–287

ªThe Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/21533687211001917

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