After more than 10 years as the first African American male tenured full professor at the University of Idaho, Dr. Sydney Freeman Jr. has made the difficult decision to step away from his position at the end of next semester. The departure marks the end of a transformative chapter for both Freeman and the institution, driven by concerns over safety, political climate, and the evolving landscape of higher education.
Dr. Sydney Freeman Jr.
"I came in on the end of the wave of Obama being in as president," Freeman said in a recent interview with Diverse. At the time, institutional leaders were eager to avoid being "on the wrong side of history," and Freeman was able to negotiate favorable terms for his position, including his rank, salary, his wife's faculty position at the medical school, and even a journal.
"I've never been an assistant professor," Freeman noted, having transitioned directly to an associate professor rank from Tuskegee University, where he was the director of the Teaching and Learning Center. The University of Idaho, he acknowledges, provided him with a platform to make significant contributions to the academy.
During his tenure, Freeman—whose research focuses on the challenges in higher education administration programs, the faculty career cycle and the leadership at historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)—established several groundbreaking initiatives, including the Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education, the Black History Research Lab, and the Black Research Institute for Flourishing and Thriving. He also led in the creation of the national award-winning UI Black and African American Cultural Center and authored a book highlighting Black contributions to the university. In 2021, at the age of 36, he became the first African American male to be promoted to full professor in the history of the University of Idaho—no small feat.
However, the environment that welcomed Freeman in 2015 has shifted dramatically. Living just three blocks from where the tragic University of Idaho student murders occurred, Freeman and his wife have navigated an increasingly challenging landscape. The presence of controversial figures like Doug Wilson, head of Christ Church, along with targeting from outside groups like the Idaho Freedom Foundation, created mounting pressures.
"We've navigated that space," Freeman said, referring to the various challenges that often impact people of color and specifically African Americans in a state like Idaho. "However, more recently when there has been more direct targeting of faculty of color... it's really important for us to make a decision about what our next steps should be."
The targeting has become personal and concerning. Freeman recounted speaking at the Idaho History Museum for Black History Month, only to have the governor's office requesting information regarding the contents of his speech beforehand.
"You're getting random emails, you're getting these kinds of things," he explained, adding that his family’s safety became his top priority.
Freeman's decision was crystallized during a transformative 14-month sabbatical during the 2024-25 academic year. In a recent article he penned for HigherEdJobs.com, Freeman advocated strongly for full-year sabbaticals over semester-long leaves, describing his extended time away as life-changing.
"A semester is a pause; a year is a reset," Freeman wrote, emphasizing how the extended break allowed him to truly disconnect from burnout and reconnect with his purpose. The sabbatical, spent primarily in Atlanta, provided him with cultural grounding and perspective that a shorter leave could not offer.
During this time, Freeman prioritized his physical and mental health, engaging in daily CrossFit workouts at a Black-owned gym and investing in counseling. He also reconnected with relationships that his demanding academic schedule had long kept him from nurturing.
"These moments reminded me that life is richer than tenure, publications, and awards," he reflected.
The sabbatical also forced Freeman to confront grief over the loss of his father, grandmother, and other loved ones, while battling what he calls "John Henryism" – the relentless drive to prove himself at all costs. The extended time allowed him to "recalibrate in ways a semester leave never could."
The decision to leave Idaho was not Freeman's alone. His wife, Dr. Lynda Murphy Freeman, who teaches in the medical school program, has also chosen to step away.
"The last anonymous threatening email message I got was very problematic and concerning,” he said. When his wife learned of the email, she said, 'We're gone. We're gone,'" Freeman shared.
Freeman acknowledges that not having children made the transition more feasible than it might be for other faculty facing similar pressures.
"I have other colleagues that are in very similar situations, and they're trying to figure it out...They're feeling like they're being pushed out, but... they can't take that financial risk and hit," he said.
Freeman's forthcoming departure raises serious questions about the future of diversity at the University of Idaho. The closure of the Black cultural center on campus and the uncertainty surrounding his research institute further signaled to Freeman that the environment might no longer be conducive to the work he's passionate about pursuing.
Freeman's experience reflects larger challenges facing faculty of color across American higher education. A growing trend of faculty members are refusing or reconsidering job offers in states perceived as hostile to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). State-level legislation targeting DEI initiatives and academic freedom has caused concern among professors, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds Freeman points to a lack of institutional support and guidance for faculty facing external attacks. "
“Leaders within higher education have not really provided guidance on the ways in which we can be protected," he observed. "If I were to ask my chair or my dean, if I'm going to be attacked, how will you respond? They don't know."
Still, despite the challenges that led to his forthcoming departure, Freeman maintains gratitude for his time at Idaho and optimism about the future. He credits the institution with providing opportunities and acknowledges the brilliant students – both Black and white – with whom he worked. Many were encountering their first Black professor and showed "hunger" for diversity, equity, and inclusion work.
The impact of his scholarship has been felt well beyond Idaho.
Freeman and his wife are currently working remotely from Atlanta as they prepare for their next chapter. Like "a free agent in sports," as he puts it, Freeman stands ready to embrace new opportunities both inside or outside of the university setting.
"My unwavering commitment remains to the advancement and flourishing of Black communities,” he said. “This calling has guided my work in Idaho and will continue to guide me wherever I serve next."
