I never imagined my college would fire me for mentioning facts in a classroom.
When the administration of Collin College in Plano, just north of Dallas, told me this past January that my contract as a history professor would not be renewed, I was somehow shocked and not totally surprised at the same time.
I don’t have the typical resume of a fired professor. My first book, White Metropolis, which describes the history of racism in Dallas, was named a book of the year by the Texas Historical Commission in 2007. In 2021, I won a teaching award from the East Texas Historical Association.
During my 14 years at Collin, students consistently praised my talent for making history come alive. Many said that they hated history before taking
