Scholars Line Up to Offer Support for Temple University’s Anthony Monteiro

Filed in Faculty on February 21, 2014

For the past 10 years Anthony Monteiro has served as an non-tenured associate professor of African American studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. In a letter last month, Professor Monteiro, a leading authority of W.E.B. Du Bois, was told his contract would not be renewed at the end of the current semester. No explanation was given to Dr. Monteiro. Later, in an article in The Philadelphia Tribune, Teresa Soufas, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Temple, stated that the department was undergoing “a change of direction.”

In a statement to the press, Professor Monteiro said, “this is nothing less than a retaliatory and revenge firing. It is her getting back at me for my standing up to her bullying, pointing fingers at black men, her authoritarian attempt to take over African American Studies and my taking the struggles for the life and integrity of our department to the Black community—those to whom we are ultimately accountable.”

An online petition has been established calling for Dr. Monteiro’s reinstatement.

UPDATE: On March 11 at a rally protesting the nonrenewal of Dr. Monteiro’s contract, Neil Theobald, president of Temple University, pledged to review the decision-making process which led to Dr. Monteiro not being retained.

Related: Temple University