The University of North Carolina has backed down from offering New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones a tenured teaching position, instead offering her a five-year term.
UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media had initially planned to offer Hannah-Jones, who graduated from the university, a tenured professorship as its Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism. The university has since changed plans and will offer her a fixed five-year term as Professor of the Practice beginning July 1, according to NC Policy Watch.
UNC’s change of plans comes after a backlash from conservatives – some closely connected to the university.
At the end of the five-year term, Hannah-Jones could be reviewed for tenure. Susan King, the dean of UNC Hussman, called the university’s decision “disappointing.” (RELATED: ‘It’s Embarrassing That The New York Times Is Doing This’: Conservatives React To The NYT ‘1619 Project’)
BREAKING: 1619 Project founder Nikole Hannah-Jones loses UNC tenure offer amid backlash over her ‘un-factual and biased’ work https://t.co/uC8qCHcDZY
— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) May 19, 2021
“It’s not what we wanted and I am afraid it will have a chilling effect,” King said according to the outlet.
Hannah-Jones is the author of the “1619 Project” for the New York Times Magazine, which has been criticized by some historians as historically inaccurate. Others have pushed for the 1619 Project, which aims to reframe American history to center around slavery and argues that American’s “true founding” was in 1619 when the first slaves arrived, to be taught in public schools.
It has already been implemented in some public schools, including in Chicago. Hannah-Jones won a Pulitzer Prize for her work on the project.
Hannah-Jones reportedly had support from the faculty and tenure committee at UNC, but her tenure application was not accepted by the Board of Trustees.
“I’m not sure why and I’m not sure if that’s ever happened before,” King told NC Policy Watch.
Hannah-Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment.