I received more than 6,000 emails after my essay about diversity in faculty hiring was published in the
Hechinger Report and
The Washington Post.
Most were from people of color telling me their stories, many of them gut-wrenching and sad.
One African American woman wrote, “despite having terrific credentials and applying for over 200 faculty positions, I have been denied for a faculty position over and over, making me wonder if pursuing a PhD was worth it. … I wonder if I should discourage other African Americans from doing so.”
People told me my essay made them cry. One Latina wrote, “I wept when I read your essay because I have always suspected what you wrote but didn’t know for sure. I am glad you revealed the truth but to hear it was hard, almost devastating.”
Others thanked me for telling “the truth in a raw and forthright way.”