Tyler Austin Harper – Confessions of a Token Black Professor

Plain English with Derek Thompson | 18 August 2026 | 1h 2m | Listen Later | Podcasts | Spotify

Interview with Tyler Austin Harper about his Atlantic essay Confessions of a Token Black Professor. Explores how ‘wokeness’ and diversity politics in higher education serve as a defence mechanism against mounting economic pressures and student debt, rather than addressing fundamental systemic issues. Recounts instances of ‘racial paranoia’ at Bates College and mandatory ‘racism self-audits’ which infringe academic freedom. Argues that this ‘elite diversification’ is a cheaper, performative response to declining public trust, driven by what he terms ‘repacious corporate capitalism’, leading to casualised faculty labour and ideological conformity. Highlights how external funding can also dictate research focus, diverting attention from deeper structural failures.