Who’s Going to Teach Us?

Who’s Going to Teach Us is a riveting novel, highlighting four brave men and their decades of adversities with waging war to incorporate African American Studies as a PhD program in higher education during the 1900s, and against all odds. Willie Mayes inspires two men, (Allen Lockett and Garrett Woods) to go to battle with assimilating African American Studies into American collegiate education, amid Stokeford University’s President, Douglas R. Stingle thwarting Mayes’ vision. Neither Allen nor Woods are aware that their resolve will inspire their successors, Willard Mansberry and Bordecai Jones to seek an even grander pursuit! Willard’s unyielding determination to carry on a worthy cause not only restructures higher education in the twentieth century but it also revolutionizes Black History through the merits of a life-defining question raised by Willard.During the early 1900s, racial inequalities for African Americans had been in existence for almost three centuries. Led by Willie Mayes’ inspiration, the time arrives for a new era of innovative ideas; Willie shares an idea that gives birth to an undeniable legacy. Amongst his many ingenious ideas is one that inspires his protégé, Allen Lockett to restructure higher education in America.In 1941, Allen brings Willie Mayes’ agenda to Stokeford University. Allen understands that education is the agent of change-but not just any education. His new acumen sparks the start of a weekly newspaper journal, Negro Facts, which Stokeford’s President, Douglas R. Stingle disrupts. Ultimately, this leads to Allen’s resignation in 1943 but his passionate efforts don’t go unnoticed. (Garrett Woods is the first to take notice of Allen’s efforts.)Several years later, in 1953, Stokeford’s former student turned professor, Willard Mansberry is inspired by Woods’ and Lockett’s endeavors to start an African American Studies course at Stokeford. Ten years later, after Woods and Lockett turn up missing and are presumed dead, Willard leads the way to the implementation of the first African American Studies PhD program under the auspices of Stokeford’s new President, Bordecai Jones. Bordecai is initially optimistic but apprehensive about supporting Willard’s idea of turning African American Studies, which is an elective into a full-fledged PhD program because Willard does not have a PhD. (He can’t attain a PhD because his idea lacks support from essential professors at Stokeford-but this doesn’t stop Willard from making history.)Bordecai faces a daunting task of keeping his university funded or disobeying his supporters for the greater good. His supporters are comprised of Ivy League supporters, Stokeford professors, White educators, and prominent legacies such as Jimmy C. Rocker Jr. (Jimmy supports Black colleges but only if they follow the Tuskegee-Hampton Model.) Allen and Garrett inspire Willard to finish their war against educational inequalities in collegiate academia. Willard’s biggest challenge arises when Bordecai speaks on his behalf in a private meeting with supporters of Stokeford University. During this meeting and to Willard’s surprise, Jimmy C. Rocker Jr. agrees to support Willard’s idea but only if his students can outwit an Ivy League School in a national debate regarding Booker T. Washington’s, Tuskegee-Hampton Model versus W.E.B Dubois’, Scholarly Concepts for African Americans.