"As you select a graduate department, I’m afraid it is simply a matter of how much racism you will experience, not whether you will experience it. Weigh your options carefully. The supportive bubble of a program at a Historically Black College or University may come at the expense of your job prospects, yet the prestige of a top-ranked historically white college or university may come at the cost of your mental health and happiness. Don’t assume the presence of a few token black faculty members or race scholars will be enough to overcome an otherwise racist department. And given the devaluing of interdisciplinarity in the academy, don’t assume that the presence of other, critical programs (e.g., African American Studies) will compensate for a lack of diversity or race consciousness in your own (more traditional) Ph.D. program (e.g., sociology)..."
