I have been thinking a lot about mentorship as of late. My college mentor Dr. James Glaser is leaving my alma mater, Tufts University in Medford, MA, to become provost of Santa Clara University, an institution across the country in California. He was such a strong presence in my intellectual journey in political science and my college experience more broadly. I cannot imagine where I would be professionally without his sage wisdom over the past almost thirty years. The importance of a good mentor cannot be understated. They provide guidance and advice, but more importantly, they serve as guideposts as you figure things out for yourself.
I can’t believe my first political science course was in the fall of 1996 when I knew almost nothing about the discipline and had very little idea of what I wanted to do with my life after college. I had a terrible registration number and by the time I was called to select classes, the only slots open were a few 8 a.m. English classes and an Introduction to American Politics course. Little did I know that politics course would spark an interest, which would morph into a passion, which would in turn become a career path I am very proud of and still excited about. I have dedicated my professional life to figuring out how Black people understand and negotiate American politics.
What I learned in my years of studying politics and writing about race and public opinion is that as I try to ascertain just where Black people fit in this country, if at all, I can ask questions about who I am, where I fit into this larger narrative, and what my duty is to tell accurate stories of the political process. I learned so much of how to approach politics from my mentor, who I now begrudgingly call Jim. Our countless conversations over the years have helped me sharpen my analyses of American politics more broadly, but also my approach to the diversity and complexity that exist within the Black political sphere.
I have also learned that a mentor does not always have to look like you, have your exact background, or have your same vantage point in life. As we seek out mentors in our professional lives, we may not always have the luxury of finding someone who matches us demographically. However, what is important is to find a mentor who believes in you, sees potential in you that you may not even see in yourself, and is willing to give you time and space to question, stumble, and figure things out, and can provide both a helping hand or a push on your back when needed. Thank you, Jim for being that mentor.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio. She is a 2023-24 Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at CCNY.