Black Professor Denied Tenure at Emerson Vindicated by Report: After six years of living and working in the greater Boston area, Pierre Desir’s transient life began to settle down just a few years ago. He moved into a sun-lit loft spacious enough for the artist to practice his hand at sculpting and woodwork, while developing the film curriculum at Emerson College.
Filled with optimism, Desir relished laying permanent roots at the communication arts school when he applied for tenure in the 2008 spring semester. Sure of his work, the 62-year-old Black man’s sanguine disposition soured after his application for tenure was rejected on the basis of what he determined to be racial discrimination.
The news began to spread of the tenure dismissal of Desir and a colleague, Roger House — both Black males — reaching the local NAACP chapter and resulting in an Emerson faculty committee calling for an independent review of Emerson’s tenure practices and policies. Earlier this month, the college released a report produced by an independent panel that found fault with Emerson’s tenure process.
