September 17, 2024
Commentary
Rutgers University's First Black President, Dr. Jonathan Holloway, has announced that he will complete his five-year term on June 30, 2025. Holloway has served as president since July 2020 and has chosen not to extend his contract beyond the agreed five years.
An article by Tom Moran of the Star-Ledger, titled "Exclusive: Rutgers President Holloway says toxic politics drove the decision to leave," was published on September 17, 2024. The article highlights that under Holloway's leadership, Rutgers University is on the verge of entering "the billion-dollar club" of large and elite schools in terms of research funding. The university has grown significantly, with 67,000 students, 27,000 employees, and a budget of $5.6 billion.
Another article of Moran's referenced Holloway's leadership confirmed that Rutgers University has climbed to #15 in the U.S. News rankings of public universities, up from #23 in 2020. Research funding also increased to $970 million last year, marking a 40% increase.
https://www.nj.com/opinion/2024/09/exclusive-rutgers-president-holloway-says-toxic-politics-drove-decision-to-leave-moran.html In addition to his successful track record as Rutgers University President, Holloway launched The Rutgers Scarlet Service program in 2022, where 150 students worked alongside state and national policymakers to address issues such as food insecurity and provide guidance for at-risk youth. https://www.rutgers.edu/scarlet-service-stories
According to an article by Carly Baldwin of the Middletown Patch, titled "Rutgers President Holloway Announces He Will Resign At End Of Year," Holloway's contract with Rutgers did not have a set end date, indicating that he could have stayed in his position for more than five years. His base salary was approximately $1.1 million per year, and his decision to leave has raised questions about the pressures he faced. Additionally, his privacy and personal life were disrupted by protests outside his home, and he has been accused of being antisemitic by Republican Representative Virginia Foxx of North Carolina plus Rutger University staff. These challenges have led to a subpoena to testify before the U.S. Congress on allegations of antisemitism. https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/DOC_9906.PDF
Is this discriminatory?
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It's important to remember that everyday Black citizens, along with their children, have faced challenges due to the state of New Jersey's allocation of $563.8 million to the Kushner family in 2000 for the "Hope VI Revitalization of Severely Distressed Public Housing." This initiative was meant to provide citizens with quality job opportunities and affordable housing services, but for the most part, it did not. Hence Holloway's example reveals that even Black citizens earning over a million dollars a year, such as Dr. Holloway, have had their lives trivialized and used against them by non-Black minority groups' unfounded accusations. With the support of Governor Murphy. https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/murphy-calls-out-rutgers-for-deal-with-pro-palestinian-protestors/
President Holloway also faced criticism from the Rutgers Endowment Justice Collective, a pro-Palestianian group who sought to "put President Holloway and Rutgers University on trial for supporting genocide." These accusations wrongly imply that President Holloway was personally responsible for actions in Israel, which is not true. But can be highly stressful.
In psychology, discrimination is recognized as a public health issue. Research has found that discrimination can be damaging, even for a Black man with a high annual salary. The anticipation of discrimination creates its own chronic stress. Despite Dr. Jonathan Holloway's exemplary leadership as Rutgers University's first Black president, his decision to leave a toxic environment is understandable. Racial discrimination and attacks from non-white minorities can result in a contradiction as well as an example of systematic exclusion or suppression of Black citizens like Dr. Holloway. It is particularly troubling to witness New Jersey's Black community remaining silent while another Black professional is publicly targeted by those who harbor animosity toward Black citizens, despite the fact that their African and indigenous ancestors were instrumental in building New Jersey. Additionally, it is important to recognize the historical significance of their efforts in advocating for and securing the Civil Rights Acts that benefit all Americans.
The need for research in the area of non-Black minority harassment tactics that result in Black citizens eschewing opportunities due to unfounded accusations and repeated microaggressions is evident.
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