Epilogue: The Future of African 
Americans in U.S. Higher Education 

Robert Hall 

The contents of this thematic journal have been reviewed by numerous individuals 
prior to its publication for both substance and accuracy. Many commented that once 
they started reading it, they could not put it down. Personally, I appreciate the 
historical perspective provided. It was an educational experience that, as an historian I 
can appreciate. However, I am, as I am sure others who read this anthology will be, 
saddened when thinking of the continued struggles that challenge Blacks in academe. 
Who would think that it continues, at least on some fronts, to be so unpleasant? One is 
left reaching the conclusion that it is tough being a Black professional anywhere. 

While reading this special volume of the journal, a couple of other questions come to 
mind. One is the use of the terms Black and African American. Is there a difference? 
To me there is. In the journal, at some points, the term Black was used and at other 
times the term African American, when referring to the same group of people. In my 
opinion, the term Black should be used. My rationale is based on the fact that many 
Black people who live in the United States do not consider themselves African 
American. That is especially the case for Blacks who come from Latin America and 
the Caribbean. It is not as if they do not acknowledge their African roots and take 
pride in them, but they do not consider themselves African; they see themselves as 
Haitian, Jamaican, or other ethnicity from the Caribbean or Latin America. They 
recognize that Africans do not consider them as the "lost Africans." 

History has also proven that White Europeans were not the only participants in the 
Atlantic slave trade. Africans also had a role in the slave trade even though they had a 
different view of slavery. However, slavery in Africa was not the atrocious experience 
that it was in the United States. The bottom line remains though, that Africans, in some 
cases, did give away their own people with motivations of greed or survival. Further, 
since the beginning of the slave trade to the present, Africans have never really tried to 
identify with the people they gave away to the U.S. or the so called "lost Africans." 
Additionally, once one completes his/her reading of this volume, one feels a sense of 
frustration. Hindrance after hindrance and crises after crises experienced by Blacks in 
higher education have been chronicled. However, the real question is, what will be 
done to remedy these concerns? Aside from these authors, are there other persons or 
organizations speaking out about these issues and attempting to remedy them? Each of 
the contributors certainly sees the Metropolitan Universities as having a special role. 
Are they being heard? Have there been improvements in terms of the "struggle" that 
these authors began writing about over three years ago, just after the beginning of the 
new millennium? Is there resolution or hope for the future? Or simply idealistic 
thinking? 

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Note: The author wishes to thank Ms . Frederique Frage, graduate assistant, for her 
assistance in the finalization of this epilogue. 

Author Information 
Robert Hall is an Associate Professor at Northeastern University in the Department of 
African-American Studies. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard 
University and his doctorate in History from Florida State University. 

Robert Hall 
Associate Professor and Acting Chair 
Department of African American Studies 
Northeastern University 
132 Nightingale Hall 
Boston, MA 02115 
E-mail: r.hall@neu.edu 
Telephone: 617-373-3148 
Fax: 617-373-2625 

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