Thank you for publishing Kayin Walker’s powerful tribute to Professor Jones. As a 2025 alumna of the Africana Studies department, I want to amplify Kayin’s appreciation for Prof. Jones, and outrage and disappointment in the university administration for choosing not to reappoint him. I took two classes with Prof. Jones (Race, Class, Gender & Postcolonial Literature: Africa and the Caribbean) and he additionally was the faculty advisor for my independent study.

Professor Jones’ classes were very meaningful to me. In addition to writing essays, we also wrote journal entries twice a week, with prompts that connected the readings to our lived experience. For instance, he asked us how racial differentiation has affected our sense of self and our sense of belonging. This is a deep question that could be the topic of an entire memoir for many Americans, I think, if we let it. One of the reasons I came back to school, was to have conversations around versions of this question, and Prof. Jones provided the space to do so. Through the journals, I found my voice. I found that yes, I had something to say, about the way race functioned in my life, and the way it made me feel. Through the novels and essays that we read, I got an exposure to the brilliant artists and scholars who have been meditating on similar questions. Through the classroom environment that he cultivated, I got to be part of a community. Prof. Jones made a strong effort to reach all of us where we were, and to give us a space to wonder out loud. He was focused both on the material content of the class, as well honing our writing style and craft.

Prof. Jones cared about us, and he cared about this school. During his office hours, students were always lined up outside, or waiting in the conference room. They wanted to talk to him about their essays, or about books, or the intersection of politics and life. He advised student groups and attended student art showcases. He took our class to see August Wilson’s King Hedley II. Even when it seemed he couldn’t take on any more, he did. When students were arrested during a peaceful protest, he was there to pick them up and give them a ride home. Jones participated in union contract negotiations and he has publicly criticized the university’s administration, as well as filed an MCAD complaint. Maybe this caused the administration to see him as a “problem.” But it would be selfish for administrators to remove Prof. Jones for their own convenience and comfort. Prof. Jones provides a great service to students, and this university is for students.