During a recent discussion with an aspiring doctoral candidate, I was asked how I felt being one of the few Black faculty members in my field. “Do you ever get asked why you research Black issues?” she asked me. I told her that there are indeed those who question the value of research examining the Black and African diaspora. They question whether such research is “scholarly,” or “fits into accepted norms.” One professor suggested to me that those issues are simply “derailed sidetracks.” When faced with this myopic thinking, I remind myself that IT is based on providing social and policy equity.
My entry into the IT professoriate has been both a maze of welcoming and uninviting occurrences. At critical times during my journey, the people I’ve encountered have offered encouragement and mentoring. But the obstacles don’t stop once you’ve completed the doctoral program. They persist even as a tenured faculty member. The hurdles,
however, were and continue to be overcome with focus, resilience and support.
— Dr. Fay Cobb Payton is an associate professor of Information Systems/Technology at North Carolina State University.
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