Is bad news better left unsaid, or should JBHE continue to publish unfavorable data that feeds racism in the United States?

Earlier this year JBHE published a lengthy list of dozens of scientific fields in which 2,100 Ph.D.s were awarded in 2006. There were no African Americans who won Ph.D.s in any of these fields.

Recently this data was published and widely disseminated on the Web sites of several white supremacist organizations. Our data was used to support their beliefs in the innate mental inferiority of blacks. For example, the racist National Alliance published the information under the headline, “The Negro Contribution to Science: Nil.”

Some of our readers wrote that we do our cause no good by publishing data of this nature.

We asked readers of our weekly online newsletter for their views. We received many comments, some of which we publish below.

One of the most enduring features of the Internet is that it enables a free flow of information, often from anonymous sources. Many of the people who responded to our query did not give their names or affiliations. Some did. But to make the responses uniform, we have not included the names of any responders.

• It would be irresponsible on your part to publish incorrect data or to suppress negative data. I recommend you consider whether the articles are balanced and whether you place more emphasis on negative than on positive data. Put another way, does the writer see the glass as half-full or half-empty?

• Maybe a shift needs to occur that emphasizes data on what has been achieved rather than what has not.

• Omitting negative data for whatever reason would destroy the intellectual value of your journal. It would then become just another piece of propaganda. More important, you would be hurting black students who look to the journal to get the truth. Without the truth about the issues facing them, black students will be ill-equipped when interacting with others.Furthermore, refusing to disclose the truth because white supremacists will misuse it is an illegitimate position. The truth is the truth, and if people misrepresent it or use it for an illegitimate purpose, it’s only by the use of truth that you can defeat them.

  I think you have a first-rate journal and I hope you continue using the same standards you’ve used over the last couple of years that I have been reading it.

• While it is unfortunate that white supremacist organizations and others of that ilk would use the disparaging information regarding African-American achievement in academia to bolster their slanted agendas, the news is necessary and relevant to the masses. Conversely, many African Americans believe there are no significant gaps in academia and other sociological measures of achievement. The information compiled and presented here is, as you are probably aware of, referred to in many credible sources of educational information. We cannot collectively address and correct the issues facing African-American academic achievement if we aren’t frank and forthright in reporting the progress as well as the negative obstacles facing the black community. JBHE is a priceless resource in informing the country about the educational issues facing blackAmerica. It is my hope that you would continue this fine work regardless of those who would use the negative information in a destructive manner.

• To delete any sort of information pertaining to African Americans because these white trash organizations might use it to their advantage is to allow these groups to dictate the direction JBHE should take, or the content of its publication.
• How data, favorable or unfavorable, is used by white supremacist organizations, should be on no concern to the readers of JBHE. The positions of such groups are obvious and have no bearing on the continuing pursuit of educational opportunity in the African-American community. The fact that African Americans failed to earn a Ph.D. in any of the scientific fields has more to do with the poor quality of primary and secondary education received by a large portion of our community than any discredited theory of innate intellectual inferiority. Moreover, the pervasive negative attitudes and expectations aspiring African-American scientists encounter, from educators on all levels, creates an antagonistic “learning” environment that many capable students find difficult to navigate. Our primary concern must always focus on providing African-American students with the tools and knowledge to succeed in the academic discipline they choose to pursue.Continue to provide your readership with positive and negative data you deem pertinent. It will allow us to reflect on our triumphs, and develop strategies to correct our areas of weakness.

• Blacks will always face individuals who will distort the truth to accomplish their goals. Your journal provides valuable information that is promoting progress. Please do not give white supremacist and hate groups the power to control or influence JBHE. In understand the concerns expressed, but I believe in transparency of truth. Light disinfects.When the brutal facts show the lack of blacks earning Ph.D.s or our lack in any positive area, the information is open for misinterpretation. That does not justify suppressing the truth. It demands a personal and professional response.

  There is an outside chance that individuals looking at JBHE or its Web site, scouting for potentially damaging information, will read additional information causing them to reflect, learn and grow beyond their current limitations. Your current mission is noble, enlightening, and invaluable.

• This is valuable information and it should be known to us so that we can encourage students into those fields where blacks are not present or not present in large numbers among the doctorate; however, it’s all in the way it’s presented. Currently, the data is published as “areas of deficiencies.” In fact, I often react to it as “more sad examples of victimization” myself, and that bothers me and others who follow this data for positive reasons.I suggest that you consider publishing this data as areas of assets instead of areas of deficiencies. That is, the few who gain in those areas are true assets, and if there is no one who has earned a doctorate so far, aren’t there those in the “pipeline? Recognize those people, too. A little more digging and investigation by your research department would probably yield names of people in the pipeline of every doctoral program.

  In short, it should be obvious by now that heightening awareness of our continued victimization is having a “blowback” effect. In fact, many of us have abandoned the deficit model in favor of the asset-based model when we work with students. Perhaps JBHE can employ a PR firm to really present this information in a way that will benefit and encourage students, bringing more of them into the pipeline and into the fields as holders of the Ph.D.

•  Don’t listen to them! We must know the truth so that we can set goals and move forward. Not printing or disseminating the information will not make it disappear!

•  I believe all the news in this area – good and bad – should be reported. Where the news is good, readers can take pride in the gains that African Americans have made in higher education. The sobering news can be a reminder that we cannot sit on our laurels, grow complacent. Yes, progress has been made; yes, blacks are moving forward in academia, but much work remains to be done in order to achieve academic parity with whites and Asians.As for white-supremacist organizations that comb through data on black collegiate endeavors searching for unflattering statistics to smear us with, we should pay little heed to their selective propaganda. Racist whites will always have low regard for blacks regardless of the latter’s achievements. High-achieving blacks will be perceived as anomalies by racists. Blacks behaving badly or not achieving up to par will only confirm the racists’ erroneous beliefs in the inferiority of black people. Either way, it makes no difference if the news JBHE prints is good or bad. White supremacists will go out of their way to ignore the former while hyping the latter.

• I disagree with that chain of reasoning. I was one of 1,200+ blacks to receive a Ph.D. in 2006. I use this data to encourage other African Americans to stretch beyond their comfort zones to become ac academics. I also share the data of how most African-American Ph.D.s are awarded in education, and I tell them of the other data related to the fields of study where no African Americans were awarded terminal degrees. This is compelling data and it hits to the core of our intelligence. No one argues with me about the importance of changing this dynamic. The high school students that I work with hear this data and are challenged to earn doctoral degrees in these fields of study. While I cannot be sure if it will happen, I feel good about the fact that we can have open dialogues about the necessity of education and where we should target our effort.White racist individuals will always find loopholes or issues to attack us on. They are not my concern. My focus is on the African-American public who have the ability to pursue higher education but have not been encouraged, challenged, and given the proper information to make it happen.

• We ALL need to know the truth, and we will rise to overcome the challenges. Publish the information; we need it. Keep on keeping on.

• If we cannot count on JBHE to report the facts, whether positive or not, who will fill this critical information gap? Is ignorance more desirable than the criticism and distortions of white supremacist groups? I think not. Calling attention to an issue is the first step toward getting the issue addressed. I applaud JBHE’s efforts to keep us informed on issues affecting blacks in higher education. More attention, not less should be given to those areas of higher education where we are underrepresented. We don’t need another Fox News outlet.

• I think the data should be published. If it is accurate, why hide it? The data provides a wake-up call to educators and the overall community to emphasize to African Americans and other students of color the importance of attaining a terminal degree. Keep us on our toes by publishing the data.