Black Think Tank: Fostering the Advancement of Black Faculty

BTT Faculty Mixer
In 2017, Duke University commemorated 50 years of Black faculty scholarship with a series of lectures. These events gave Gustavo Silva, who had just joined Duke as an assistant professor of Biology, a chance to connect with fellow Black faculty members across campus. Grateful for a chance to build a network, Silva recognized that there were likely other Black scholars at Duke still looking to create a network. And he felt they shouldn’t have to wait for a big anniversary celebration to do it. That’s why Silva and Assistant Professor of English Jarvis McInnis created the Black Think Tank, a platform to help Duke’s Black faculty scholars collaborate, connect and support efforts to hire, retain, promote, and advance Black colleagues.

In 2017, Duke University commemorated 50 years of Black faculty scholarship with a series of lectures. These events gave Gustavo Silva, who had just joined Duke as an assistant professor of Biology, a chance to connect with fellow Black faculty members across campus.

Grateful for a chance to build a network, Silva recognized that there were likely other Black scholars at Duke still looking to create a network. And he felt they shouldn’t have to wait for a big anniversary celebration to do it.

That’s why Silva and Assistant Professor of English Jarvis McInnis created the Black Think Tank, a platform to help Duke’s Black faculty scholars collaborate, connect and support efforts to hire, retain, promote, and advance Black colleagues.