UNC Board of Trustees Approves Nikole Hannah-Jones’ Tenure Application

The UNC Board of Trustees approved tenure for acclaimed journalist and incoming professor Nikole Hannah-Jones on Wednesday during a special meeting.

Amid demonstrations in favor of Hannah-Jones outside the Carolina Inn, where the meeting was being held, the Board of Trustees voted 9-4 in favor of granting tenure.

Chair Richard Stevens, as well as Trustees Jeff Brown, Ralph Meekins, Chuck Duckett, Munroe Cobey, Kelly Matthews Hopkins, Lamar Richards, Teresa Artis Neal and Gene Davis, voted in favor of the measure.

Trustees Dave Boliek, Allie Ray McCullen, John Preyer and Haywood Cochrane voted against the measure.

Following the decision, Hannah-Jones released a statement through the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

I want to acknowledge the tremendous outpouring of support I’ve received from students, faculty, colleagues and the general public over the last month — including the young people today who showed up at the Board of Trustees meeting, putting themselves at physical risk. I am honored and grateful for and inspired by you all. I know that this vote would not have occurred without you.

Today’s outcome and the actions of the past month are about more than just me. This fight is about ensuring the journalistic and academic freedom of Black writers, researchers, teachers and students. We must ensure that our work is protected and able to proceed free from the risk of repercussions, and we are not there yet. These last weeks have been very challenging and difficult and I need to take some time to process all that has occurred and determine what is the best way forward.

Wednesday’s meeting resulted from a month and a half of public scrutiny following the board’s inaction to review Hannah-Jones’ tenure application earlier this year. Dozens of university departments, groups and organizations have since issued support for the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. UNC faculty and alumni, student government, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP chapter, the National Association of Black Journalists and other groups found ways to express displeasure with the Board of Trustees and credit Hannah-Jones’ work.

UPDATE: Demonstrators have now been allowed into the BOT meeting. pic.twitter.com/kEyontsDHv

— WCHL & Chapelboro (@WCHLChapelboro) June 30, 2021

Demonstrators at the Carolina Inn on Wednesday were removed from the meeting ahead of a closed session for the tenure vote, as per state law. Many came in support of Hannah-Jones and to speak against the board’s inaction, with UNC Police forcefully removing a handful of demonstrators who did not initially leave the Carolina Inn ballroom.

Demonstrators returned the room shortly after 6 p.m., though, to hear the public vote of approval for Hannah-Jones’ tenure. Several remained after the vote, sharing their experiences, concerns and frustration with university leadership.

Hannah-Jones was set to join the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media’s  faculty as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism. Unlike previous Knight Chairs, however, the Board of Trustees did not offer her a tenured professorship and instead offered a fixed five-year term.

The legal team of Hannah-Jones announced last week she would not join the UNC faculty unless she is offered a tenured position. Her original start date as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism was set for Thursday, July 1.

While university leadership said the board previously took no action on Hannah-Jones’ tenure application as she lacked a “traditional, academic-type background,” reports from NC Policy Watch said the decision to “postpone” review of her application could be motivated by the reporter’s work in orchestrating The 1619 Project – which portrays the impact of slavery on American history and Black culture.

Dean of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media Susan King shared a statement following the vote of approval.

The Board of Trustees received Hannah-Jones’ tenure application for consideration at its January 2021 meeting. The chair of the board’s University Affairs Committee, trustee Chuck Duckett, then indicated he had questions about Hannah-Jones’ dossier, which delayed its consideration.

“It has taken longer than I imagined,” wrote King, “but I am deeply appreciative that the board has voted in favor of our school’s recommendation to tenure Nikole Hannah-Jones as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism. I knew that when the board reviewed her tenure dossier and realized the strength of her teaching, service and professional vision they would be moved to grant tenure.

“She is a journalist’s journalist, a teacher’s teacher and a woman of substance with a voice of consequence,” said the dean. “Hannah-Jones will make our school better with her presence. She will deepen the University’s commitment to intellectual integrity and to access for all.”

Wednesday’s special meeting comes not only as Hannah-Jones is set to begin her position at UNC, but also as the terms of five out of the 13 trustees, including Chair Stevens, are set to end on Thursday. All of the departing trustees voted in favor of granting Hannah-Jones tenure on Wednesday.

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