The Privilege of Being Token: A Cautionary Tale from Academia's Ivory Tower As I read about a Black professor at Bates College, I felt uneasy.
Not just because the story recounts familiar tropes of racism and tokenism in academia, but also because the author's own complicity in this system is stark.
The professor describes his idyllic arrival in Lewiston, Maine, complete with waterfalls and a "HOPEFUL" neon sign. However, this description belies the harsh realities of academic life for many.