Chapter 7: Just Trying to “Do Me”: Black Faculty in the United Arab Emirates

Should the integrity of higher education be called into question if faculty of color on college campuses feel systemically prevented from being themselves while successfully promoting teaching and learning globally? Finding one’s professorial voice and identity in the academy has been and continues to be a major challenge for black faculty. In particular, African American faculty employed at predominately white institutions Not only are these faculty subjected to racist hiring practices and low academic prestige, but they also tend to be the subject of racial microaggressions after obtaining faculty appointments (Allen et al., 2000; Weems, 2003). It is possible that these challenges can be exacerbated for black American faculty working outside the United States, especially when colleagues, students, and community members tend to rely heavily on media to shape their opinions of black Americans. This is particularly troubling as the media often portrays black American men as “violent criminals” and black American women as “promiscuous beings” (Johnson et al., 2009; Solorzano, 1997). Along with confronting these challenges, black faculty may also find difficulty being true to themselves as they traverse unfamiliar territory in a foreign country with persons who may have little exposure to black Americans. Being true to oneself as a faculty is being honest with how you feel, think, and behave in the academy. It also refers to being honest when communicating with others about what you feel, value, and desire (Håkansson, n.d.).