For quite some time the debate has been out: can a white person teach black culture? Can that person teach it to black kids? Some students and parents may consider this for issues other than education. This topic is morally and racially controversial because there are no statistics that answer the question either way.
Woody Harrelson in the 1992 film “White men can’t jump” showed everyone otherwise. So what about WSSU, is there a white professor who can do the same?
Dr. Bryan Jack is a professor of American Studies with an emphasis on African-American Culture. He was drawn to African-American culture by racials issues that he encountered in his hometown of Parsons, Kansas. He noticed early in his life that his black friends were being treated differently than him. He realized later on in high school that they were not given the same educational opportunities that he was given, even though some of hisfriends were smarter than him.
On a quest to learn why this was so, Jack earned his B.A. in history at Baker University in Kansas, his masters at Alabama, and his Ph.D. at St. Louis University.
Jack has been teaching since 2004 and is as enthusiastic now as he was three years ago. “I believe that race is the central issue in American life and to understand America you have to learn and understand race,” he said.
Jack has not encountered any opposition while teaching here at WSSU, a predominantly black school, and says he feels very comfortable here.
Staci Harris, a senior mass communications major, has had Jack for both U.S. History and Black American Culture. “Dr. Jack is a wonderful teacher and you can really tell that he is passionate about black culture and enjoys teaching,” Harris said.