Inclusive Scholarship: Developing Black Studies - Ford Foundation

136 Inclusive Scholarship: Developing Black Studies in the United States
higher quality conversation. When asked about the hidden benefits of the
Ford grant, Randall Burkett at Harvard answered right away that it made
for more magnanimous exchanges among the scholars involved: it made
for “more good talk,” he said.
The success of winning the grants led to other successes. These awards
gave African American Studies departments new prestige on their home
campuses that translated into material gains. Suddenly, for example, other
departments were coming to African American Studies for possible cosponsorships,
etc. Inevitably, this meant that other academic units were influenced
to consider guest speakers and conference topics that might attract
the co-sponsorship of African American Studies: African American Studies
was not a suffered poor relation but a partner with money of its own.
Being able to bring in new people—junior level faculty or senior
scholars—also produced benefits that were unforeseen and far-reaching.
Holes in curricula could be filled. Introductory courses in particular could
be enriched and enlivened. Having the visiting scholars as students in the
Penn summer program (along with the senior visiting presenters) even
kept seminar leaders on their toes. And generally speaking, the visitors,
whether at Penn or elsewhere, made for intellectual stimulation and crossfertilization
that benefited the hosts in immeasurable ways.
How does one to measure the impact of the grant-sponsored activity
on students, particularly graduate students, the field’s leaders of tomorrow?
In many instances, conferences were designed with direct involvement
from graduate students who were instrumental in running things in ways
that will help shape their careers. They had practice doing the administrative
work involved in conference-making, for example. And, whether as
chauffeurs, dinner guests, tour guides, or as special assistants, graduate students
were able to confer with leading scholars on an informal basis and to
observe them in their various roles onstage and behind-the-scenes.
Out of the general fermentation, new structures are emerging: new
advanced degree programs, summer institutes, courses, conferences, etc.,
and also new structures of feeling; new ways of thinking. All this activity
has helped win new and stronger students to the field. And it has changed
the map of academia writ large.When we call the schools named here major