INFO: Haki Madhubuti—Civil rights icon, lauded professor 'forced' out at CSU > from CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Civil rights icon, professor Madhubuti 'forced' out at CSU

CHICAGO STATE | Renowned professor resigns abruptly Friday, saying he was targeted by university President Wayne Watson after pointed criticism over his appointment

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April 3, 2010
BY MAUDLYNE IHEJIRIKA Staff Reporter

Citing vengefulness on the part of his new boss, Chicago literary and civil rights icon Haki Madhubuti on Friday resigned as an educator at Chicago State University after 26 years.

"This is a difficult time for me. Because of circumstances beyond my control, I have been forced to seek early retirement," Madhubuti said in a statement issued to attendees of the Gwendolyn Brooks Conference for Black Literature and Creative Writing.

» Click to enlarge image
Haki Madhubuti ended his teaching career at Chicago State University on a controversial note, claiming he was "forced" out by current president Dr. Wayne Watson.

(Tom Cruze/Sun-Times)

 

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Mitchell: Where's the support for Madhubuti?

"On June 22 , 2009, I issued an open letter to the university community in regards to the appointment of our current president, Dr. Wayne Watson," said the Third World Press founder and Chicago Public Schools charter operator. "I questioned in no uncertain language the flawed and undemocratic process in which he was selected. I was as fully aware when I issued the letter as I am now that all actions have consequences."

First reported by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell, Madhubuti said his split from the university came after Watson, who took the helm of the South Side institution last year, demoted him.

Madhubuti said Watson demanded he teach four courses a semester -- contrary to his contract -- removed him from the paid staff of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center he founded, and reduced him to volunteer status with the master's program in creative writing that he co-founded.

"I am convinced that this move against me is personal and vindictive," Madhubuti said. "Although I did agree to increase my course load, I rejected the points that removed me from the structures I founded and co-founded at the university."

Many of the 200 attendees at Friday's induction ceremonies for the center's International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent expressed regret that the distinguished professor was leaving under such ugliness.

In her Thursday column, Mitchell reported Watson denied Madhubuti was being forced out, although Watson declined to discuss details of the departure.

"That is his decision. I am only asking him to teach," Watson told Mitchell.

Madhubuti has filed a grievance against the university.

Madhubuti rose to international fame as a fiery poet who gave voice to the pain of the 1960s civil rights movement and founded the renowned black publishing firm that distributed black authors deemed untouchable by the mainstream publishers in the early '60s.

The prolific poet and longtime educator also operates three Chicago public charter schools and a private preschool he founded with his wife.

"Haki Madhubuti, he is an institution," said acclaimed author, biographer and researcher Maryemma Graham, a university of Kansas English professor inducted into the center's hall of fame Friday. "The Chicago State MFA program and Gwendolyn Brooks Center has become as powerful and renowned as it has in part because of his presence. That will never change."

The views expressed in these blog posts are those of the author and not of the Chicago Sun-Times.

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orion wrote:
He and his w.i.f.e. Carol have made a good living out of this psuedo field of academics called Educational Social Policy - mostly white guilt studies.

name: Carol D Lee
e-mail: cdlee@northwestern.edu
title: Professor
department: Education & Social Policy
preferred address: ANNENBERG 2120 Campus Drive
331
EV 2610
telephone number: +1 847 467 1807

Just checked the public records on the Shabazz School. I wonder if they would pay the teachers at their school to only teach one class.
Some of the salaries are fairly heatlthy:
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2008/364/229/2008-364229273-04c45bc6-9.pdf

4/3/2010 8:26 PM CDT on suntimes.com
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orion wrote:
Don Lee (Haki) really cares about Chicago students from the safety of his Country Club Hills residence (check public records).
4/3/2010 8:12 PM CDT on suntimes.com
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ca_dreaming wrote:
I get the essential question. And I agree. But it is important to focus on this retention question. A statement that no one challenges becomes the truth. Its not true.
4/3/2010 7:37 PM CDT on suntimes.com
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harryp wrote:
ca_dreaming,

Forget the numbers. Get back to the basic question: Is it wise for CSU to be paying Madhubuti $100,000+ a year to teach ONE class?

Of course not. And they finally realized that, and asked him to take on a larger work load... which "insulted" him somehow, and he decided to tell the world that he was "forced" to retire.

4/3/2010 7:10 PM CDT on suntimes.com
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justiceforpodanielfaulkner wrote:
This article doesn't really tell me much.
What is this mans degree in ?
What department does he teach in ?
What classes does he teach ?
Can't he easily get another position at another college / university ?
Was he tenured at this college ?
4/3/2010 7:03 PM CDT on suntimes.com
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ca_dreaming wrote:
HarryP -the sources are out of context. They are measuring something that CSU has little of, first time full time freshman.

However if you take the statistics that you have, and make the institutions with great stats break out their measurements on their first time full time black freshmen, they do worse than CSU.

Context matters.

4/3/2010 6:56 PM CDT on suntimes.com
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ejo wrote:
How easily he transitioned from railing against the system to suckling off its teat in a no work university position. Is he just noticing Chicago State swirling down the toilet or did his revolutionary gaze find no work at 110k a year a little too good to pass up?
4/3/2010 6:16 PM CDT on suntimes.com
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master of my domain wrote:
Aside from lazy professor, the other fraud here is the headline of the article where the claim is made he was forced out. He was given actual work to do in return for his fat paycheck. He chose not to do the work. He resigned. Now, in typical leftist-entitlement fashion, he's filed a grievance. This guy wouldn't make a pimple on a good teacher's a*s.
4/3/2010 5:29 PM CDT on suntimes.com
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harryp wrote:
ca_dreaming,

I fully realize that everything you read is not necessarily true, but my numbers come from many sources, not just one. You may not like them, but the numbers are real. Unless you think that all of the various sources are all lying?

If you don't believe me, do your own research. Go to google, type in "Chicago State University graduation rate," and click on the links that you see. Feel free to look around and see for yourself.

4/3/2010 4:53 PM CDT on suntimes.com
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ca_dreaming wrote:
Harryp

I still say that you are wrong about the numbers and what they mean. Everything you read is not true.

4/3/2010 4:34 PM CDT on suntimes.com
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Haki Madhubuti Resigns As Professor, Leaves CSU

 

2010_04_02_haki.jpg
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After teaching at Chicago State University for 26 years, Haki Madhubuti decided to resign as a professor on Friday. Madhubuti, a celebrated poet who has founded Third World Press and oversees three charter schools and a private school in Chicago, stated that the primary reason for his resignation was due to the strained relationship between him and the president of CSU, Wayne Watson. Madhubuti had said in his remarks at the annual Gwendolyn Brooks Conference for Black Literature and Creative Writing on Friday that he had no choice but to leave and was 'forced out" of his position at CSU:

 

"Madhubuti said Watson demanded he teach four courses a semester -- contrary to his contract -- removed him from the paid staff of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center he founded, and reduced him to volunteer status with the master's program in creative writing that he co-founded."

Watson has stated that he simply wanted Madhubuti to devote more time to actually teaching students and that the decision to resign was Madhubuti's own, denying that he made Madhubuti leave his post at CSU. Regardless, it is a huge loss for the creative writing program at CSU. The relationship between Madhubuti and Watson did not start off as a good one, as Madhubuti wrote an open letter criticizing and questioning the way Watson was selected as the new president of CSU last summer.

By Soyoung Kwak in  on April 3, 2010 11:15 AM 1 Comment 0 Likes

==============================

Infighting, injustice at Chicago State

Clash between cultural icon, controversial president is tragic

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April 1, 2010
BY MARY MITCHELL Sun-Times Columnist

It is painful to watch two powerful black men fight publicly. In just about every instance, it is the community that loses.

This latest clash between Haki Madhubuti, a giant in the literary world, and Wayne Watson, the president of Chicago State University, is no different.

» Click to enlarge image
Mary Mitchell 

On Friday, during his remarks opening the 20th annual Gwendolyn Brooks Conference, Madhubuti will say farewell to Chicago State, an institution he has shared his international fame with for more than two decades.

"You don't want to leave a position after 26 years without honor. I'm being forced to leave. It is not right," he told me.

Citing legal concerns, Watson declined to discuss details of Madhubuti's departure. But Watson denied that Madhubuti was being forced out.

"Not true. That is his decision. I am only asking him to teach," Watson said.

Since Watson arrived, Madhubuti, who was the "University Distinguished Professor" and "Emeritus of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center," was busted down to professor of English, a change that will result in a nearly 50 percent reduction in salary.

At the same time, Madhubuti is being asked to teach four classes a semester.

In an article that appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Watson boasted that he "cracked down on a star professor who had been allowed to teach just one course a year while drawing a full salary."

"What is Watson's goal other than cutting him down, other than humiliating him?" asked a CSU faculty member who fears retaliation. "Watson has been coming at Haki since October. He has messed with his money and his status."

Best-known for his fiery yet lyrical black protest poems, Madhubuti had managed to stay out of political brawls until now.

But on June 22, 2009, he was compelled to write an open letter to Chicago State in which he criticized the process by which Watson was selected.

'I can't work with him'

His was hardly a revolutionary attack.

Thirteen members of the 15-member search committee had been so put off by the process, they resigned in protest.

"I knew something was going to happen if I wrote the letter, but I didn't know he would push me to seek an early retirement," Madhubuti said. "I can't work with him. I am not going to stand here and let him use this university like he used the City Colleges."

Watson, of course, can make a great argument for wanting Madhubuti to teach more classes.

On Wednesday, security guards were escorting off the campus the first wave of laid-off faculty and staff.

In times like these, it is easy to justify asking the remaining employees to carry a heavier load.

But let's get serious.

Haki Madhubuti isn't any old body. He is a cultural icon.

He is the founder of Third World Press, a black-owned publishing house that has published works by established black writers as well as up-and-coming authors since 1967.

Before Chicago education experts figured out charter schools, Madhubuti and his wife founded the Institute of Positive Education/New Concept School to turn the dream of black empowerment into a reality.

His expertise in the field of education led to the development of the Betty Shabazz International Charter School, Barbara A. Sizemore Middle School and the DuSable Leadership Academy.

Because of Madhubuti's vision, the legacy of renowned poet Gwendolyn Brooks -- the first African American to receive a Pulitzer Prize in poetry -- will forever be linked to this South Side university.

Every year, black writers and those who aspire to walk in their footsteps gather on the campus of Chicago State for the Gwendolyn Brooks Writers Conference to hone their craft.

This year, poet Nikki Giovanni is the featured artist, but under the circumstances, the conference will also be a celebration of Madhubuti's achievements.

Madhubuti certainly could have taught elsewhere.

The fact that he chose to stay at a university that struggles against great odds to engage low-income urban youth in higher education is a testament of his lifelong mission.

This unceremonious parting of the ways could prove to be a devastating loss to the university in the future.

Today, it just makes me sad.

No one can do as much harm to black people as other black people.

via >http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/2134802,CST-NWS-mitch01.article

==============================

Where's the support for Madhubuti?

Where is the outrage over blatant disregard for poet?

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April 4, 2010
BY MARY MITCHELL Sun-Times Columnist

Are you telling me that a black man can rise from pushing pamphlets on the corner to selling books across the globe, and still have to fight for respect?

That that man can marry, raise his children, look out for his mother-in-law, build up a business on the South Side, and still have to fight for respect?

» Click to enlarge image
Mary Mitchell 
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Civil rights icon, lauded professor 'forced' out at CSU

And that man can educate his children, and try to educate other people's children and still have to beg for respect from the very people who should be holding him in high esteem?

Something's wrong with that.

On Thursday, I wrote about the disagreement between Haki Madhubuti and Chicago State University President Wayne Watson that has resulted in Madhubuti resigning his post at CSU after 26 years.

You could have heard a pin drop in the activist community.

Madhubuti rose from being a street-corner poet in the 1960s to becoming one of the most prolific writers of the black protest era.

He is also a successful publisher, professor, educator and institution-builder.

To those of us who once dressed in Dashikis and read poetry out loud for inspiration, Madhubuti is a cultural icon.

Yet after spending his entire career building up African Americans in the city and elsewhere, Madhubuti is receiving too little support in his fight with Watson.

CSU president faces challenge

Some of the responses I've gotten took a surprisingly narrow view.

"If he is a giant in the literary world, then the best people he can be influencing is students and the best place to influence them is to teach them in the classroom," said Melanie in an e-mail.

Marc Ganis wrote: "If we are going to educate, we must have those teachers we can afford to pay actually teach. Regardless of skin color, university affiliation and other such issues," he said. "Sounds like Watson is imposing greater accountability at CSU. How could this do anything but better educate the students who attend?"

Obviously, Watson is facing a tough challenge.

The former City Colleges chancellor will have to increase the deplorable graduation rate while raising standards -- not to mention change the university's negative image as being the university of last resort.

Watson has already shown he can clear some impressive hurdles.

In 2005, he received a "no confidence" vote from the faculty at City Colleges. Four years later, he was given a five-year contract at Chicago State University amid complaints that the process was rigged.

And while the public is outraged that state employees can collect hefty pensions after moving into new state jobs, Watson has managed to do so without anyone raising an eyebrow.

Icon is disappointed, not bitter

Unfortunately, Madhubuti is not a politician.

He is the poet who turned his words into institutions.

Yet the fact that so many of us have no clue about what this man's stature has meant to Chicago State plays into Watson's hands.

I wouldn't call Madhubuti bitter, but he certainly is disappointed.

"What I have learned in my short time on this earth is ultimately that which is greater than family, friendship, children, status, fame, wealth and strawberries is truth," Madhubuti said, reading from a written statement on Friday night. "Remember if a person can be bought for $50.00, he or she can be bought twice for $100.00. To dance with liars in this culture, partners are always available."

Congressman Danny Davis, who tried to intervene before the split became public, also expressed disappointment.

"It is so unfortunate that these kinds of things happen. While there is not any open animosity or friction, there were philosophical disagreements," he said.

In the last poem in his latest collection, Liberation Narratives, Madhubuti writes:

"Where is the poetry of resistance?

the poetry of honorable defiance

unafraid of the lies from career politicians and businessmen . . .

Where is the poetry of doubt and suspicion?"

'Where is the poetry of resistance?'

He began his farewell remarks with that poem. All of the inductees to the International Literary Hall of Fame on Friday night honored Madhubuti as the "legacy and the institution" of the arts community.

We need to ask ourselves a similar question:

"Where is the poetry of resistance?"

When an icon like Madhubuti is handled with such blatant disregard -- and no one says a word -- what does it mean for the rest of us?

via >http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/2138541,CST-NWS-mitch04.article


 

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Dr. Wayne Watson the President since October 09, has requested Madhubti to teach a full load and Watson is being slamed for doing so.
Haki Madhubuti is an estemeed and prolific writer. He has given a public resignation because Watson required accountability and a full teaching load of 12 hours. Previously Madhubuti has been teaching 3 hours a year for a full salary. Quite the job, wouldn't you say. Enters new boss asking for accountability and responsibility and you claim that you are being mistreated. What kind of thinking is this?

Most people would be pleased to have a full salary for 3 hours of work per year. Wow, in these economic times, do the math. Madhubuti has had generous support from Chicago State University with an annual conference and the formation of The Gwendolyn Brooks Center.These are major achievements. In these hard economic times, state funding budget cuts, it would not be realistic to keep things the same. A touch of reality enters. No one on the planet, not even the President of the United States, can work only three hours a year and justify a full salary. No one is that distinguished.

Watson became President of Chicago State after much controversy but I wonder why didn't Haki Madhubuti apply for the position? He seems to be saying if you break up my playground and make me work like the other Distinguished Professors, I will take my books and go home. Chicago State Unviersity is a teaching university and the most important thing a professor can do is teach, hands on. This is what great professors do.

Watson is providing leadership and asking his faculty to be accountable and responsible. What's wrong with that? Wouldn't you like to work for full salary and work only three hours a week. Wow. What a job.
Everyone should be able to see through this.
At 26 years and age 68 and a salary of $110,000, Don has maxed out in his pension and has so many outside interests that faarting around at CSU is no longer worth his while.

However, instead of retiring and showing the selfish side, he trumps up this mess in order to become a martyr, in the true tradition of the radical '60s Mau-Maus.

Nice scam.
Will you
look into the face
of a student who has no Pell grant,
No MAPP grant,
and more loans
than is right or fair
And say that your work
is more important?
That students
must pay for non-teaching when
they desparately need to learn?

That is my poem of resistence!

To those who equate Don Lee (Haki) to other "Star" professors at other universities with respect to workload and salary, you are comparing apples to oranges.

Yes, this may be the case at major research instutitions where the "star" professor brings in millions of dollars in research grant dollars to the school or attacts the best and brightest PhD candidates to the school, adding to its prestige.

Don does/did not do either.

The only one that benefitted from Don's work was Don (and his spouse).

Furthermore, one could say that Don started this whole mess with the poison pen open letter he wrote criticizing the process of the selection of the new president - not too smart for a man pre-emptively bites the hand that feeds him.
So you can count me as another who supports Dr. Watson on this one. This guy Haki has been pillaging CSU for years. Since he did not take a salary from 3rd World Press, you could say that CSU/the Taxpayers basically subsidized that business venture by providing him a one class load job, health insurance, office space and a platform to promote himself.

2008 information on Haki (Don Lee is his "slave" name) Madhubuti.
From: http://www.archive.org/details/StateUniversitiesOfIllinoisSalaries2008

Name: Lee, Don L
Title: Professor English
Start Date: 08/16/84
Salary: $110,928.00

Plus his spouse (Carol Lee) has a nice gig as a Professor at Northwestern University, so there will be no tag days for them.

He is 68 years old and can start enjoying his $90,000 plus per year pension and free lifetime health insurance.

At issue are the students of CSU and an administration, faculty and policies that prepare these students for professions and success in a growing global community. How many letters has this professor written, using his stature and name recognition in support of additional funding for CSU not associated with his department? How many elected officials has he lobbied on behalf of the university not associated with a program directly linked to him? The question is legitimate because Dr. Madhubuti wrote that his support extends beyond his department to the entire institution, its mission and all of its students.

There is no way anyone could accomplish so much beyond the university walls and have teaching be a priority. If being asked to earn his salary by taking on a full time teaching schedule after twenty-five years of the university supporting all of his outside endeavors is so distasteful that it warrants such indignation, then respectfully Dr. Madhubuti, just accept that your other initiatives have a greater priority and move on quietly. Don’t try to hurt the man who is trying to make the best use of university resources by paying professors a full time salary that actually teach full time.

— Orion