1 00:00:03,790 --> 00:00:06,280 I managed a faculty discussion 2 00:00:06,520 --> 00:00:07,520 meeting for a 3 00:00:08,470 --> 00:00:09,470 certain 4 00:00:11,250 --> 00:00:12,809 ladder tenure track 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:14,819 faculty position in a STEM 6 00:00:15,060 --> 00:00:16,288 academic department on campus. 7 00:00:16,289 --> 00:00:17,661 A search committee presented 8 00:00:18,510 --> 00:00:20,559 their top five to the faculty. 9 00:00:27,570 --> 00:00:29,579 The top two was one 10 00:00:29,610 --> 00:00:30,884 white-identifying male and 11 00:00:31,620 --> 00:00:33,304 one white-identifying female. 12 00:00:55,790 --> 00:00:57,220 A white-identifying 13 00:00:58,250 --> 00:01:00,290 senior faculty member 14 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:02,919 had spoken up and said 15 00:01:04,340 --> 00:01:05,720 "Why aren't we discussing 16 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:08,469 the person of color, 17 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,069 the only person of color on the top 18 00:01:10,070 --> 00:01:11,070 five? 19 00:01:12,410 --> 00:01:13,486 Look around the room - we 20 00:01:14,300 --> 00:01:15,682 have a diversity problem." 21 00:01:16,370 --> 00:01:17,370 And at 22 00:01:18,230 --> 00:01:19,230 that time, the only 23 00:01:20,450 --> 00:01:22,400 faculty of color, who happens to be 24 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:24,890 an African-American faculty member, 25 00:01:26,330 --> 00:01:27,457 felt empowered to speak 26 00:01:28,250 --> 00:01:29,749 up and started 27 00:01:30,590 --> 00:01:32,419 arguing the merits of that 28 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:35,660 person of color candidate 29 00:01:35,990 --> 00:01:38,000 and saying that this 30 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:39,590 candidate will bring a diverse 31 00:01:39,980 --> 00:01:40,980 view 32 00:01:42,260 --> 00:01:44,100 and has the expertize to 33 00:01:44,690 --> 00:01:46,519 have a position in this 34 00:01:46,790 --> 00:01:47,790 department. 35 00:01:56,749 --> 00:01:58,549 This allowed others to really 36 00:01:58,550 --> 00:02:00,229 finally look at this, 37 00:02:00,500 --> 00:02:01,670 this candidate with 38 00:02:02,390 --> 00:02:03,390 with some weight. 39 00:02:07,159 --> 00:02:08,237 There was an agreement 40 00:02:09,050 --> 00:02:11,029 to go ahead and do another anonymous 41 00:02:11,030 --> 00:02:12,030 paper vote. 42 00:02:12,500 --> 00:02:14,539 That was conducted and 43 00:02:14,540 --> 00:02:16,220 the vote came back unanimous 44 00:02:16,670 --> 00:02:18,229 for that person of color, 45 00:02:18,590 --> 00:02:20,719 faculty candidate for the faculty 46 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:21,720 position. 47 00:02:22,759 --> 00:02:24,799 Had that senior 48 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:26,689 white identified faculty member 49 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:28,643 not call out that there was 50 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:31,130 actually a qualified 51 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:33,360 person of color candidate on 52 00:02:34,140 --> 00:02:35,779 on the in the top five 53 00:02:36,750 --> 00:02:38,840 that may not have allowed the 54 00:02:39,340 --> 00:02:41,330 the black faculty member 55 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,059 to argue for 56 00:02:44,060 --> 00:02:45,761 this person to be discussed. 57 00:03:05,340 --> 00:03:07,159 This candidate 58 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:09,169 is now an assistant professor 59 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:10,925 in the department, is successful. 60 00:03:10,926 --> 00:03:11,926 Has graduate 61 00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:14,488 students, postdocs, and is doing 62 00:03:14,750 --> 00:03:16,789 very well in his own 63 00:03:17,030 --> 00:03:18,030 research program. 64 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:19,440 Had 65 00:03:20,670 --> 00:03:22,310 that white-identifying 66 00:03:23,130 --> 00:03:25,139 professor not spoken up 67 00:03:25,290 --> 00:03:26,290 and said and been a 68 00:03:27,330 --> 00:03:28,330 co-conspirator for 69 00:03:29,580 --> 00:03:31,590 people of color, this 70 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:33,810 faculty member would not have added 71 00:03:34,830 --> 00:03:35,874 a diversity to this very 72 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:40,930 not non diverse department on 73 00:03:40,940 --> 00:03:41,440 campus.