UNC Backs Out of Offering 1619 Project’s Nikole Hannah-Jones Tenure After Conservative Criticism: Report
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University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has reportedly backed down from offering Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure following pressure from conservative critics.
Hannah-Jones, who attended UNC-Chapel Hill and has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant,” will not be getting a tenure, despite support from the university’s chancellor and facility.
News that Hannah-Jones was pursued by the university’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media, reported by NC Policy Watch, was quickly met with backlash from conservatives due to her work on The 1619 Project.
The Carolina Partnership for Reform published an unsigned editorial form claiming, “This lady is an activist reporter — not a teacher,” while the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal claimed she had “Questionable credentials.”
“Obviously, they knew the hiring could be controversial,” said Daniel Kreiss, associate professor at the Hussman School. “But I think it’s all quite silly to be honest.”
Despite the comment, UNC-Chapel Hill is no longer offering her tenure, and she will instead start a fixed five-year term as Professor of the Practice on July 1.
The journalist will be reviewed for tenure once her contract ends.
“It’s disappointing, it’s not what we wanted and I am afraid it will have a chilling effect,” said Susan King, Dean of UNC Hussman of the move, adding that she is not sure why the board rejected her application. “I’m not sure if that’s ever happened before,” she added.
One anonymous board member told NC Policy Watch that the board’s decision was based on “politics,” adding, “The university and the board of trustees and the Board of Governors and the legislature have all been getting pressure since this thing was first announced last month. There have been people writing letters and making calls, for and against. But I will leave it to you which is carrying more weight.”
The 1619 Project, initially launched in August 2019, details the legacy of slavery in the United States and works to reframe the nation’s history, highlighting the year of arrival of the first enslaved Africans to Virginia.
The 1619 Project, now being made into a series of films and television shows, includes entries from Black writers and scholars and works to examine the impact of slavery on the nation’s democracy, arts, education, and culture.
