Less than a week after UNC granted Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure, the acclaimed journalist declined the position and cited her alma mater’s atypical delay in her consideration. The news, announced on “CBS This Morning,” set social media both locally and nationally abuzz.
Since reports emerged in May about the university’s Board of Trustees delaying Hannah-Jones’ tenure application for “political” reasons, several UNC leaders voiced their support for Hannah-Jones and grating her tenure through the normal processes. That included Dean of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media Susan King, who invited Hannah-Jones to join the faculty. UNC Student Body President Lamar Richards and Chair of the Faculty Governance Committee Mimi Chapman also regularly shared their support for the acclaimed journalist.
All three shared their emotions around Hannah-Jones’ decision on Tuesday.
A large part of the campus community’s response to the controversy came from Black UNC faculty. From organizing demonstrations to sharing department-wide statements, faculty members criticized the university’s history of mistreating its BIPOC communities. Several faculty and university staff took positions at other schools in the wake of the delay for Hannah-Jones’ tenure.
On Tuesday, members of the Carolina Black Caucus, an organization of Black UNC educators, shared their thoughts to Hannah-Jones declining UNC’s offer. Faculty of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media also shared a statement and additional thoughts on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/OccScienceBae/status/1412391116259876866?s=20
https://twitter.com/shannimcg/status/1412387505769435141?s=20
https://twitter.com/dfreelon/status/1412430079867506690?s=20
https://twitter.com/kreissdaniel/status/1412389902755504134?s=21
In addition to Hannah-Jones’ announcement of declining UNC’s position, she announced she will instead join Howard University’s faculty as a Knight Chair and will establish the Center for Journalism and Democracy at the school.
Several Black journalists and academics across the country shared their thoughts on this news, highlighting how the role aims to train aspiring Black students for decades to come.
https://twitter.com/jelani9/status/1412391805191077892?s=20
https://twitter.com/theradr/status/1412400931552088066?s=21
Hannah-Jones’ full statement on her decision to decline a position at UNC can be read on the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund’s website.
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