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Being an academic is not what it used to be. The list of acceptable things to say, do, and lead has gotten much shorter over the past decade, and something that was relatively harmless in 2014 could get someone fired in 2024.
A wave of dissatisfaction has swept through academia, resulting in the irrelevance of intent, the concept of microaggressions, the use of critical social justice as an ideological foundation, and a narrative that makes white people the eternal oppressors. Ta. Furthermore, new complaints are that critical thinking is inherently white, that critical inquiry is tantamount to violent attack, and that minorities, especially black people, are perpetually oppressed. I believe it.
These sentiments, which have been around for years, have become the cudgel for social justice efforts at universities across the country. The field as a whole, especially my field of rhetoric and composition, was taken up, even if the efforts conflicted with the field’s main objectives. Wakeness’ usurpation of academia was swift, ruthless, and deeply illiberal.
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I don’t have much confidence in academics. My confidence was initially shaken by the fact that critical thinking, an important outcome of my university education, had become critical feeling. Sadly, that critical sentiment was biased toward the negative, reflecting intolerance that centered and de-emphasized resentment toward Western civilization. I realized this when colleagues pointedly told me that the concept of argument, knowledge of Standard English, and reason itself were considered “white man’s knowledge.”
Academia is also too woke and it’s time to get out of there. (St. Petersburg)
Because I accepted this way of being perceived, white people, black people, and Native American people called me – in so many words – inauthentic black. This is not an outlier’s opinion. Many scholars promote this idea out of integrity or peer pressure. Why would I want to stay in a place where so many people feel obligated to label me a “charlatan,” a “traitor,” or the four-letter word that academia likes to call “conservative”?
Academia has become an enclave of people with high IQ but low emotional quotient (EQ), a place filled with brilliant people who never become adults. I’ve spent time writing and talking about the “middle school mean girl” antics of scholars in my field and in the humanities in general, including students, faculty, and administration. .
My dedication to preparing students for a free, pluralistic, and liberal society has provoked vicious multiracial tantrums from those dedicated to destroying that society, and in academia, has become enormous. My desire to empower my students was taken as an apology for settler colonialism, an expression of my internalized anti-Blackness, a preference for white supremacy, and a promotion of modern fascism. .
The field of study I entered after graduating from graduate school, rhetoric and composition, had its problems, but it was not the fiercely illiberal enclave it is today. The change was too much for me to bear. Because for the most vocal among them, emotion, not critical thinking, is the dominant epistemology. They demonized reason and rationality as “the white way of knowing,” projected evil onto anyone who disagreed with their views, and created a contagious hatred of free speech. The “life of the mind” I thought I was entering has actually become a life of the mind that I am willing to leave.
Perhaps my biggest issue concerns the role of Black people in academia, particularly in the humanities. The illiberal disposition of academics is often justified as a position of social justice activists seeking to make things right for historically oppressed peoples, most notably black Americans. There are many things. Grade inflation (where grading exists), the elimination of standardized English, the dismissal of proven critical thinking skills, and other ways of relinquishing benefits from basic learning outcomes are all part of Black racial justice. It is done in the name of
In the not-too-distant future, I’ll see a conversation where someone asks, “Why has academia become such an illiberal, anti-intellectual institution?” The answer to that would be, “Well, I’m black.” I don’t often want to go to places where I can hear such conversations.
For this reason, and without trying to exaggerate, I say that academia, like other decidedly left-leaning institutions, is of no use to black people who don’t identify as victims, people like me. . As it turns out, academia doesn’t like me. At best, I was invisible.
I obviously wasn’t on a black scholarship. I mean, I’m a rhetorician, but I’m not an explicitly black rhetorician. I teach American philosophy, but I don’t primarily focus on Black scholars. It’s as if the academic community is saying, “Why do you want to teach a class in classical debate? That’s why we have white people.” Again, why would I stay in a situation like that?
Now, I realize that what I’m describing may not apply to all higher education institutions. I can truly say that my time at York University had nothing to do with that. I most enjoyed my time at that facility. My problem concerns my field in particular, and academia in general. Even without my experience, the academic world is like a sinking ship. Most universities are seeing a clear decline in enrollment, especially for men. Departments, if not entire schools, are closed for budgetary reasons. Most schools do not have Harvard’s endowment.
Furthermore, there is no impartial spirit and balanced spiritual life in academia. The ratio of liberals to conservatives in academia is 12 to 1. This is not a fair representation of the perspective that is considered a key feature of higher education and the liberal arts in general. Scholars avoid the need to defend their ideas by hiring only those who already share their ideas. What I want is an environment where the best arguments win, not an environment where arguments are avoided by eliminating counterarguments.
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That said, there are notable setbacks in woke efforts. Some schools have reduced or eliminated DEI positions and offices. Some are reallocating funds originally earmarked for social justice programs. Companies have canceled projects such as implicit bias training.
Additionally, there has been considerable backlash within the executive branch and top executives as the public learns that incompetence and anti-Semitism are rampant, largely due to the Wokeness. Many see the 2024 presidential election as the Waterloo election of the woke movement and the beginning of a return to normalcy.
My desire to empower my students was taken as an apology for settler colonialism, an expression of my internalized anti-Blackness, a preference for white supremacy, and a promotion of modern fascism. .
In this case, why should I quit? Can’t I just survive while this movement is on its deathbed?
You can do that, but it doesn’t solve the larger problem. Why don’t I stay in academia? Because those who first carried out these projects, those who signal virtually for personal gain, those who claim that words are violence and disagreement is bullying, those who conduct loyalty tests These are the people who have downgraded their accomplishments to race, and the people who claim that anti-racism is something completely different. Racism of some kind still exists, just waiting for the next bad idea to come along. Fundamentally, academia has lost credibility. I simply can’t trust it anymore.
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I am now embarking on a new chapter in my life outside of academia. I plan to continue researching, writing, and speaking about rhetoric. I will continue to write about academics. We will continue to devote ourselves to the “life of the heart.” I am confident that I am making the right decision, even though giving up my tenure and summer vacation was difficult to accept at first. I will continue to promote true racial justice.
Most importantly, I can be myself without suffering from my detractors. This alone feels like a step in the right direction. After all, when it comes to integrity, individuality, reason, and perhaps most ironically, equality, the town square looks more appealing than the ivory tower.
