Authority Is Not Power

AUTHORITY IS NOT POWER

Over and over and over again the Howard University administration flies in the face of cherished norms of Academe. They have, for instance, saddled one department with unqualified or under qualified chairs for more than three decades. They have, for instance, essentially made a mockery of merit. The list of instances is very long.

They can do as they please, because they have the authority. They make the rules. However, it is easy for them to forget that whereas Blacks may rule within the strict confines of the Historically Black College / University (HBCU), they are very minor players in the larger society. You can’t, for example, administer a D.C. government grant the same way you would administer an HBCU or one of its colleges or departments. . . . At least, not with impunity.