Black Student Union Supplement: Few Black Professors Lured

Black Student Union Supplement: Few Black Professors Lured

Focus on the lack of Black students/faculty at Middlebury, as well as an interview with a Black professor who formerly taught at Middlebury.

Volume 75, Number 12

Antony Flint

The Campus

1/29/1981

Gayle Pemberton- Former Professor of English

"There is only one black professor at Middlebury College and a proportionally small black student population"

"She said that the most salient explanation of the lack of black professors here is that there is 'no desire on the part of the administration to acquire black professors'."- Gayle Pemberton

"The commitment of the administration to reform the teaching staff toward racial balance was not a lasting one"- Pemberton

"Pemberton stated that the administration does not believe that the black aspect of literature, history, or political science is necessarily valuable"

"The natural constituency of black students at Middlebury is so very low, the administration maintains the attitude 'why bother?'"- Pemberton

"Pemberton commented that Middlebury College seems to be maintaining a minimal black student population to 'ease the conscience of the administration,' but otherwise is making no effort to increase either black teaching staff or student population because, without them, the College is 'getting along just fine."