ABSTRACT
The experience at U Conn started the author thinking about racial intersections and relationships in higher education. In October 1975, he organized a day-long retreat for black faculty and administrators at the Endicott House, MIT’s conference facility in Dedham, Massachusetts. MIT’s culture is such that there is only the administration can do to exercise influence with a tenured, senior faculty that is brilliant, independent, and not always open to change or to new perspectives on issues such as race. MIT is typical of many predominantly white institutions in that blacks and other minorities do not carry much weight in the balance of leadership. Concepts like diversity, recruitment, and inclusion are expressed but not always or consistently acted on. Various cultural intangibles, race, prejudice, and personal likes and dislikes, continue to influence the world of academia and career advancement beyond an individual’s basic abilities and qualifications. The book-length history traces in greater detail the role and experience of blacks at MIT.
