Embracing Everyone (02:19)

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The number of minorities in universities is alarmingly small; 90% of professors are white. Minority professors are often isolated and many spend their time fighting for affirmative action.

A Political Science Professor (02:34)

David Wilkins, a Lumbee Indian, recalls his first teaching experience. Wilkins teaches political science in Tucson, Arizona. He describes his realization of his cultural inheritance.

Wilkins' Cultural Awareness (02:21)

David Wilkins recalls reading "Custer Died for Your Sins." Wilkins' work focuses on tribal sovereignty and the US government's inconsistency. Wilkins discusses his journey to teaching political science.

A Chicano Studies Professor (02:49)

We see archival footage of the 1969 student protest at USC Berkeley. This conflict resulted in the first ethnic studies department. Alex Saragoza feels he constantly has to prove himself. Most minority professors cluster in ethnic studies.

Changing Demographics (01:49)

Alex Saragoza writes about Mexican popular culture and Chicanos in California; some of his work targets teachers. Saragoza takes his students to the grape fields where he worked as a child. He discusses his experience in the field.

Latino Sociology Professor at ASU (02:57)

Gloria Cuádraz is the only member of her large traditional family to go to college. She discusses her struggle in college as a minority and her mother's pride when she achieved her PhD.

A Road to a PhD (03:25)

Alex Saragoza believes success should not depend on luck; he recalls prejudice at Harvard. Many teachers and counselors have low expectations of minority students. A philosophy professor believes race is largely irrelevant to intellectual development.

Asian American Studies at the University of Washington (03:26)

Students react to the criticism that ethnic studies divides the campus. Students argue about stereotypes and labels in the ethnic classroom. Shawn Wong is a founding father of Asian American studies.

Asian American, a Political Term (03:11)

English professor Shawn Wong of the University of Washington discusses the stereotypes of Asians in America and how he addresses them in his novel "American Knees." His class discusses issues of identity and prejudice.

Asian American Writers (03:10)

Shawn Wong discusses the challenge of finding Asian American writers. He recalls finding Toshio Mori. Wong and his team recover and celebrate a seminal group of Asian American authors; his team also writes and publishes novels.

African American Historian (02:49)

Darlene Clark Hine recalls the shooting at Kent State University. She is part of the first generation of African American scholars to become successful in her field. Hine discusses the struggle to provide a different perspective of American history.

Deciding a Group is Worthy (03:03)

Darlene Clark Hine recalls a phone call asking her to write the history of black women in Indiana. She takes on the challenge and enters a world she never knew existed.

Minority Stories in America (02:03)

Darlene Clark Hine helps create a new field, African American women's history. Minority scholars try to make history lessons more inclusive. Shawn Wong's help rescuing immigration files reveals the routine denial of citizenship for Chinese immigrants.

Traditionalism and Radicalism (03:11)

Students consider the dangerous populations in America. Darlene Clark Hine challenges her students to use their experiences to view history in a new way. Hine visits her childhood home in west Chicago.

African American History Professor (02:23)

Robin Kelley, a history professor, is an accomplished author of African American history. He shares his job with his daughter's classmates.

An Intellectual Engagement (02:06)

Nell Painter is Robin Kelley's mentor. Kelley is the youngest full professor at New York University and one of three African Americans in the 50 member history department. Kelley hopes his work inspires historians to re-think their history assumptions.

Challenging the Established Scholarship (02:14)

Robin Kelley gives more than 80 speeches a year around the country. Kelley's work focuses on neglected political movements in history. Kelley's personality puts his colleagues at ease; Kelley finds it discomfiting.

A Cultural War in America (02:23)

New scholars bring new ideas to university. Robin Kelley believes the academic war is a reaction to multiculturalism. Who determines what is a great scholarship? John Searle discusses shifting education from the humanistic to the anthropological.

Puerto Rican English Professor (02:40)

Miguel Algarin inspires writers at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and is an English professor at Rutgers University. Algarin discusses his commitment to both worlds and what young people are saying with poetry.

Enlivening Literature (04:18)

Miguel Algarin introduces an up-and-coming poet into his ethnic literature class at Rutgers University. Algarin explains why he brings in a live writer. He inspires his students to discover the power of the written word; emotion is the philosophy.

Algarin's Gift (01:16)

Miguel Algarin states that his parents gave him a love of culture; culture existed in his house. Algarin discusses the role that Shakespeare plays in his life.

Affirmative Action is Changing (03:05)

Robin Kelley thinks that affirmative action is often misunderstood. Alex Saragoza sees this as an assault on social programs; affirmative action is dismantling too soon. Nell Painter discusses the perception of affirmative action.

Humanizing the Institution (03:01)

John Searle expresses his opinion on affirmative action. Gloria Cuádraz is a recipient of affirmative action and believes in the program. Cuádraz tries to extend the pipeline of minorities in university education.

Invisible Work (03:42)

Gloria Cuádraz's university experiences influence her research and writing. She works to increase the number of Mexican American students and administration at ASU. She discusses the constraints on her time.

Family vs. Scholarship (04:13)

Gloria Cuádraz, Darlene Clark Hine and their colleagues discuss their roles in their traditional families. Minority women are especially vulnerable to familial sacrifice. Hine loves the blues.

Art and Literature Lives (01:38)

Miguel Algarin is able to avoid the isolation that is common for many minority professors. Algaren shares what gives him joy. Gloria Cuádraz believes institutions need to care more about the students to meet their needs.

Office Hours (02:54)

Robin Kelley receives many students in his office during office hours. Many minority students do not consider aspiring to intellectual work. Kelley lists all of his commitments.

Kelley's Increasing Stress (03:28)

Robin Kelley discusses the effects of his commitments on his personal life. He talks with Nelly Painter who tells him to tell people no. Studying Thelonious Monk gives Kelley a sense of peace.

Minority Roles in Scholarship (04:56)

Robin Kelley believes minorities make a difference in overall scholarship. David Wilkins discusses the value of his work, homeschooling his children, working with Vine Deloria, and bringing balance into the education system.

Credits: Shattering the Silences: The Case for Minority Faculty (01:27)

Credits: Shattering the Silences: The Case for Minority Faculty