Texas Southern University
Black criminologists are leaving academia at alarming rates, and the field is worse for it. With only 8 percent of doctoral criminology faculty identifying as Black, and three in four Black criminologists reporting they have considered leaving the profession, criminal justice education faces a retention crisis with direct consequences for research quality, student outcomes, and public policy.
This study documents what happens when an institution invests in a different approach: a culturally responsive, HBCU-housed faculty development program designed specifically for underrepresented criminologists. The results demonstrate that targeted, sustained investment in Black scholars produces measurable gains in confidence, professional networks, and scholarly capacity.
Black criminologists face a five-year promotion delay compared to their non-Black peers, producing cumulative earnings deficits exceeding $240,000 over a career. The field loses researchers whose analytical frameworks are essential to studying racialized justice systems with accuracy. Students who become practitioners graduate without the exposure and perspectives their professional roles require.
This study is the first systematic evaluation of a targeted faculty development intervention for Black criminologists. It demonstrates that culturally grounded programs can build scholarly capacity and professional confidence while creating the kind of inclusive environment that sustains careers. The findings align with evidence from medical and dental education, where HBCU-based programs have demonstrated 27-fold higher representation of underrepresented scholars compared to peer institutions.
