Discrimination in Higher Education Hiring
Matt Griffin
Tampa, Fla.
It's possible that Mr. Wright simply was not competitive enough. Many candidates hold comparable or stronger credentials. A National Science Foundation fellowship, while commendable, isn't exceptionally rare, and completing multiple postdocs is common before securing a tenure-track position. Given that Mr. Wright was applying not long after completing his dissertation, his research trajectory may have seemed too narrow or insufficiently developed for such an esteemed role. Academia is demanding and intensely competitive. Mr. Wright insists that this was a case of injustice, but it may simply be that another candidate was more qualified.
Louisa Paterson
Mobile, Ala.
Reverse racism, or affirmative action, or DEI—whatever you want to call it—has been in action for decades. A university or company can't hire or promote on merit if it is hiring and promoting based on other factors, in this case race.
Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of an America where the color of one's skin would not determine opportunity, but rather the content of one's character. If only.
Gaetano A. LaRoche
New York
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