Centennial Oral Histories:
Ben Reese

Luke Powery  0:00  

I’m Luke Powery. And I’m here with [Benjamin] Ben Reese for the Duke Centennial Oral History Program. Ben, it’s so good to see you.

Benjamin Reese  0:31  

It’s great to see you again.

LP  0:34  

You arrived here at Duke in 1996. And I know you transitioned in 2019. Can you share a little bit about how you ended up at Duke, and why you stayed at Duke for such a long period of time?

BR  0:57  

Well, I’m a New Yorker. You probably know that; I think we can hear the accent. And I had done most of what I wanted to accomplish in New York. Our daughter was just about to start kindergarten. So that was part of the motivation. I had completed work in five jobs — at the same time — before I left New York. So, I was running this community mental health center. I was in private practice as a psychologist. I had my own institute I was directing called the Institute for the Study of Culture and Ethnicity. I was the ombudsperson for the Rockefeller Foundation. And I was traveling around the country and the world talking about issues of diversity. And I felt it was time to put that together, and try to impact an institution. And it was the same year that the Triangle — Raleigh in particular — was pointed out as one of the best places to live in America. So my wife and I, we started visiting here, and networking, and found a school for our daughter. And then I met Myrna Adams, this incredible woman who was the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer at Duke — the Vice President for Institutional Equity. And Myrna — I had never met anyone like her. Just insightful, creative, [and] deeply committed to issues of equity and fairness. She said, “I’d like for you to consider working with me.” And it was an honor. And I came as a Cross-Cultural Relations Specialist, and then shortly thereafter, Assistant Vice President and then Myrna retired.

LP  2:55  

Wow. Yeah, she’s a wonderful person and figure. Can you talk a little bit about the work that Myrna and others spearheaded here, and that you continued the work of [in] Duke’s Office of Institutional Equity and [in] serving as Chief Diversity Officer. Give us a sense of what kind of work has been done, and is being done.

BR  3:24  

The work changed over the years that Myrna was Vice President, and certainly during the time I was. In those early years, for me, so much of the focus was on those employees who were housekeepers, groundskeepers — primarily Black people — and the ways in which they were experiencing Duke. So, so much of the work was trying to shine a light on that, and being supportive, and helping the institution develop strategies to help uplift their [lives]. And then there was a whole period at Duke, and across the country, where the focus was much more on — how do you shift an institution at every level? The shift from awareness of an individual in terms of their identity, to systems and structures. And so that was really a critical part of the development of the Office. And then the Office was unique in that it not only focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, but [also] had the affirmative action work. It had the harassment and discrimination work. And so it had an office that [included] attorneys focusing on some of the issues that related to the law, and then it had specialists who were really skilled in trying to help build an institution that was more attentive to diversity, equity inclusion.

LP  5:06  

So was there a kind of expansion of the work of DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion], [to include] affirmative action, sexual harassment over time? And growth in that area?

BR  5:21  

Yes. At Duke and across the country. And then we had the expansion of the purview of the Office and of Duke. When I first came here there was the University and Duke Hospital. And then it was probably [around] 1998 when it expanded to a Health System [and] Duke Raleigh Hospital and what now is Duke Regional Hospital became part of the system, and then [there were an] increasing numbers of outpatient centers and clinics. So for the University and Duke Hospital, that expansion was significant. And so the role of the Office expanded because we had responsibility for this huge system, which, by the way, is unlike most Chief Diversity Officers in higher ed[ucation], who tend to have responsibility for a college or university and not for a system.

LP  6:29  

When people talk about diversity efforts, equity efforts, inclusion efforts, at universities and other organizations, it is often presented as, you know, the challenges. Which there are and that’s one of the questions I have, what are the challenges of this work? But I think we forget about the joys of the work. And I’d like to just hear you reflect a little bit about what are the joys, and the challenges, of this work.

BR  7:04  

Ah. That’s important. Because I wouldn’t have stayed at Duke as long as I did if I didn’t feel joy and fulfillment. And some of it, on reflection, is about the people. I just met so many people who were brilliant, and ethical, [and] collaborative. And so the people, as I reflect, that was one of the reasons that I stayed. But it also was wonderful to see the fruits of my work. As a Vice President, you have a lot of latitude to create systems, structures, programs, et cetera. So to see something move from the planning stage to implementation to evaluation — that was and continues to be a joy. And I run into people who were at the beginning of their career when I first came to Duke, and they comment on how I helped them grow their career. And so that’s a real joy. As the years pass for me, I’m meeting more and more people who were at the beginning of their getting a degree and are now seasoned professionals, and comment on how I’ve been helpful. So that’s a joy. 

LP  8:44  

What would you say are some of the challenges that maybe you experienced here, of spearheading the work of the Office of Institutional Equity?

BR  9:01  

I think as wonderful as this nation is, some of the challenges are [that it has a] history, and the way in which issues of inequities are baked into our system. And so that’s a challenge at Duke, and across our nation. Then I think it’s the very fact that the role at Duke, as Chief Diversity Officer, encompasses healthcare and the university. As wonderful as that is, that’s a challenge, to be in a surgical suite one hour and to be with undergraduate students the next hour and to be meeting with folks in the Durham community in the evening. So, trying to think in terms of a system and structures and an institution [is a challenge] when you have healthcare, you have campus, you have the Durham community. So that’s wonderful, but boy, that’s a challenge to think in terms of systemic and organizational change when an organization is so complex. That’s a challenge.

LP  10:24  

Duke’s a big place. Before we sort of dive deeper into Duke’s history and the Centennial — in a larger way and at a higher level, why should people care about DEI, and having an office such as Institutional Equity? Why does that matter?

BR  10:51  

Well, some of it is, from my perspective, based upon the notion of humanity, and the importance of all of us thinking about the range of people and the range of experiences that people have. Our time on this earth, I think, should be focused on building systems in ways in which we can learn about the variety of people and experiences. So I think that’s kind of [the] overarching [reason]. And then in terms of organizations [and] in terms of universities, I think they’re places where students, faculty, [and] staff come from lots of places. And increasingly from places around the world. So we should care about being effective — as teachers, as administrators, as healthcare professionals — in helping people who come here with different backgrounds. Thinking differently about ideas of collaborating, problem-solving, and various family structures. We should think about how we effectively run an institution, run a school, run health care systems, with people who are different in lots of ways in terms of the background. So I think we should care in an overarching way because I think that’s the role of all of us on this earth. And then there’s the specific reasons that relate to higher education and healthcare. 

LP  12:40  

Humanity, that’s important. Thinking about humanity, and thinking about the Duke Centennial that we’re celebrating — can you say a little bit about Duke’s history regarding diversity and inclusion, including the desegregation of the university? I think that would be a good place to start [with] some of my focused questions around Duke.

BR  13:10  

I often tell friends and colleagues that it’s in some ways amazing that Duke desegregated so recently. When you think of the first Black students to come on campus — and then for the years after that a small number of Black students and faculty [inaudible] campus — it wasn’t only 1963. I mean, [it was] for years and years after that. That’s very recent history. And when I spend time in the Archives, I’ve read about how issues of desegregation came up, and there was this kind of pushback or a lack of focus [or] attention [or] interest in the desegregating. And then it would come up the next year. It’s kind of also amazing that given that recent history, how far we’ve come. There certainly are challenges ahead. But the fact that Duke is — in terms of people’s identity — as rich and diverse as it is, it’s kind of remarkable given that recent history. One of the things I’m really proud of is being one of three people who helped coordinate and lead the 50- year recognition of the first five Black students [Commemorating 50 Years of Black Students at Duke]. Having that year-long commemoration [and] reflection about those first five Black students, and what it has happened to Duke since — both the challenges and the growth that’s taken place. And that was immediately followed the next year by another initiative that I’m very proud of my role in. That was Queering Duke History. [It was] a reflection on what it was like being gay, lesbian, [and/or] transgender in those early years, when the most horrendous things happened to people who had those identities, and the challenges that they faced over the years of Duke’s growth. So that 50th anniversary of the first five Black students, and then this year long Queering Duke History are two initiatives that are really special when I reflect on my time as Vice President.

LP  15:59  

Are there other moments — so the times of desegregation [and admitting] Black students is a pivotal moment in Duke’s history, of course, but — are there other moments in Duke’s history that you would say were pivotal from your standpoint?

BR  16:20  

Well, there was a time when it seemed like every year there was a major protest. Sometimes taking over buildings. On occasion, the President’s Office. But I think each of those years was an occasion for often students [rather than administrators] raising issues of equity and inclusion. And then the University, you know, struggling in responding to that. There aren’t particular events that stick out in my mind, as much as the kind of regular — the kind of rhythm — [activity] of students protesting and raising issues that the University struggled with and then responded to. And so when I think about the growth of the institution in terms of equity and social justice, it’s those protests that I think helped spur the University along to the place that it’s at now.

LP  17:34  

You mentioned — thinking about the history and beyond sort of moments — [talk about] one person, or feel free to go more in depth. Are there individuals who you believe have been particularly the key to Duke’s growth and success? It could be related to institutional equity, or not, but are there figures that you would say were pivotal to where we are today?

BR  18:09  

I think of the three presidents I’ve served, certainly Nan Keohane and Richard Brodhead in addition to our current president. Those three presidents. And then Myrna Adams, who brought me to Duke — this creative, insightful, deeply committed person. I think she not only mentored me, but she had a great impact on Duke. And I think of — so, [former administrator] John Burness really played a key leadership role in helping Duke think about the connection to Durham as more of a partnership relationship. And moving us from a place where so many Duke residents would say “Duke is a plantation” to people looking at Duke as a true partner. So John and his role in leading Community Affairs, as it was called back then, he’s one person. I think of [historian and former Chair of History] John Hope Franklin. Boy, I remember sitting in Washington Duke [Inn], my first year here. This gentleman came over to me and he said, “Young man, you’re new here, right?” I said, “Yeah.” And he said, “Where’d you come from?” We had this conversation, and [then] he got up and he said, “I’ve got an appointment to go to.” I said, “Your name was?” He said, “John Hope Franklin.” And I was.. he said, “Give me a call, let’s have lunch.” I was so, like, blown away by actually meeting him that I couldn’t bring myself to call. He reached out to me. And I count him as a mentor, and we built a friendship that was so very, very special to me. So certainly John Hope Franklin. [Political scientist and Duke’s first African-American faculty member] Samuel DuBois Cook. Being vice president during those early years of the [Samuel DuBois] Cook Society, I was close with Dr. Cook. [He was] just a towering figure — national figure, international figure — in higher education and in issues of equity, fairness, [and] social justice. Getting to know him, and building a friendship, and hearing his stories about Martin Luther King and his work with him, and Dr. Cook’s work as one of the first Black faculty members, [first] Black Board of Trustee members, his reflections on those early years. He’s a special person to me, and I think to Duke. So those are people that I think of. Just really special, special people.

LP  21:38  

You mentioned Dr. Cook.  Could you say something about the Cook Society? Why that was established, what you see as its purpose, [and] why is it significant for the University as a whole?

BR  21:55  

The Cook Society, when it was formed, was really the only, quote, organization that I know of on campus that really brought together people at every level of Duke and Durham. And so the dinner [the Annual Samuel DuBois Cook Awards Ceremony], which started out as an annual event, [was] providing an opportunity to give awards to students, faculty, staff, Durham residents. [It] startedd out as a dinner with 80, 90, 100 people. And now it has grown to hundreds and hundreds of people. I remember every year looking out at the assembled people at their tables eating, and there were undergraduate students of every background, graduate students, faculty, staff at every level. You know, tables with people working on the grounds [and] people working in the kitchen sitting next to senior faculty members. Athletes. Durham residents. When Dr. Cook reflected on the beloved community, the Cook Society helped build that here at Duke. So that’s a special society, and one of the events that I think reflects what Duke has become — a place where students, faculty and staff of every background, every level of our society, can come to learn, to grow, to get health care, [and] to become a better person.

LP  23:48  

What I love about the gathering [is] one of the themes, and I believe it’s the first one listed usually on the program, is humanity. There’s community and equity, but humanity is the first one. I celebrate that. I think it’s one of the best events that happens here at the University. And I see it as a success, which leads me into a question about — and some of these you might have touched on already — but from your perspective what have been Duke’s greatest successes in efforts to create a more open and equitable environment for students, faculty, and staff.

BR  24:35  

Certainly the growth of students from all backgrounds, from all levels of socio-economic status. That’s been something that has just been appropriate to happen, and I think part of what I reflect on as the growth of Duke. But I think in terms of staff. The growth of staff in terms of the greater leadership of women in so many departments, leading so many administrative units. People of various backgrounds leading units [and] having significant administrative roles [and] staff roles. I think that’s something that’s special at Duke. It’s wonderful to have students of all backgrounds. It is happening in many places across the country. But staff, and certainly faculty, I think, reflects the notion that learning can come from and does come from people with all kinds of backgrounds. If we’re really serious about diversity, then it really rests on this notion that the best of people, the best of institutions, comes from the collaboration of people who bring different ideas [and] perspectives and often come from different places with different backgrounds.

LP  26:16  

Yeah, that’s the gift, right, diversity’s the gift [and] the beauty. I agree. Well, let me turn it a little bit away from Duke history and take some time here to have you reflect aloud — we’ll see where this goes — if you could share a little bit about the current national environment. Policies [and] laws that have resulted in the closing of DEI offices at universities and businesses. Obviously there’s a long history here, but even thinking about the post-George Floyd era. What reflections and insights [do you have]?

BR  27:16  

You know, I remember those first several months after the murder of George Floyd, and you had presidents of universities and CEOs of corporations falling over each other to be the first to say Black Lives Matter. To have corporations allocate, or at least plan to allocate, significant amounts of funds for the road to greater equity and fairness. And protests, and leaders across the country joining protests. And then a short time later, our current environment. [There are] so many places where you cannot utter the word diversity [or] fairness or equity. In addition to, as we all know, universities that are closing DEI offices [and] that are cutting off funds. And so I think it’s a great tragedy for our nation that we have significantly slowed down the journey towards greater equity and fairness across our nation. And it’s painful. You know, being at this work for almost 60 years, to see where we’re at is painful. I try to remind myself that my parents talked about what it was like in the ’30s and ’40s, thinking that things would never change and it was just overt racism. And then laws were passed, and we had some degree of change. Then I think of my own time growing up and the Vietnam War, when our nation was so divided and there were people in the streets on both sides. And many people feeling — and myself to some extent — things will never get past this point. This is the beginning of the downfall or the sliding down of our nation. And then we got past the War. And we ushered in a new stage in America. So, I try to remind myself that as dismal as things seem in higher ed [and] in the corporate sector in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion — hopefully it’s a cycle. And I may not be around for the next cycle, but I have faith that at the core of our nation are these beliefs about fairness and social justice, and they will rise to the top over time. But we’re in a very difficult period.

LP  30:29  

Why do you think, or what are some of the reasons, for the opposition to DEI efforts?

BR  30:43  

Well, we could get into a political conversation for a long time [laughs]. But I think there is a segment of our nation that erroneously believes that the focus on equity and fairness and social justice — for segments of our population that haven’t had the opportunities over the past — that that focus detracts from fairness for everyone. The belief that if you focus on increasing equity and fairness for women in so many segments of our society, for African Americans, for Latinx people, that that focus will then detract from equity and fairness for the white population of our country. And that’s just not true. To pay attention to those people who have not had the opportunity makes us all better. I mean, it makes us all better humans. Makes us better servants. So I think that it’s unfortunate that this erroneous way of thinking about diversity, equity, and inclusion has been promulgated across our country. And become so embedded in the thinking of a segment of our country that even rational arguments don’t seem to impact the increasing belief that it’s one group versus another. But hopefully that’s a cycle and the bedrock of our nation — fairness, equity — will once again rise to the top, and we’ll get back on the path to a place that I think all Americans really want to go to.

LP  33:02  

What would be your encouragement, or let’s say advice, even, to institutions, organizations, [or] people who really desire to advance equity and fairness and inclusion at institutions and organizations. You have so much experience and wealth of knowledge — you’re a psychiatrist, too — of the human mind. What would you advise for those who want to move forward in these ways?

BR  33:47  

Well, even as I reflect on the 1960s and all the ways in which we broke laws in some of our protests, I do think that we need to be lawful. We need to be cognizant of rules and regulations and laws and abide by those. But I think we need to push the envelope, and not shrink one iota from our values and the ways in which we live out those values. So the strategies may shift, some of the words may shift. But I really hope that institutions stay true to their values, not only in what they say but in what they do. Now, that’s going to take different forms for different institutions. I certainly recognize that if you’re a state institution [or] a state university in a certain part of the country, how you live out those values will be different from a private institution [or] another part of the country. But I think all of us need to stay true to our values, but live those out in our actions. I certainly recognize that some people may be in a position of losing their job if they say or do certain things. So I’m certainly not advocating that that’s the way to go for everyone. But I think everyone can continue on a path to greater equity, or take the off ramp, right? I hope that we move ahead on that journey in whatever way and form suits your station in life. And some of the support and mentoring that I do is to help people find a way of continuing their journey. Because I firmly believe that that’s ultimately where all of us want to go.

LP  36:09  

Let me ask you about the thread [in this conversation] that has come up, about humanity. You emphasize that as a key piece, [an] overarching umbrella. It’s interesting at times, and people talk about it, sometimes we forget the human beings that are known as housekeepers on the Duke staff. Those that are sweeping the floors and cleaning the bathrooms. Many [of whom are] from the Durham community. What would you say these human beings [and] these staff roles, these people, are significant for the life of this prestigious university?

BR  37:08  

At the very core, they’re part of the human family. But in terms of their role, we wouldn’t be the university that we are without all of the people who operate at all levels contributing to our growth. Whether you’re cooking meals or sweeping, if we didn’t have you in those roles we wouldn’t grow as an institution. If you’re not in the classroom teaching, we don’t grow as an institution. And we often forget about how critical all of those roles are, particularly those people who are in a different station in life [and] in a different role. But I also think that when I think of humanity, I really do think of people on different political spectrums and different places in life. I remember C.P. Ellis. So, C.P. Ellis was the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in Durham, and I had an opportunity to get to know him, as well as his partner Ann Atwater who was a Black activist. And [I know] the whole story of how they came together. I remember getting together with C.P.’s son, at my home on a Saturday –we had a film crew [because] we were going to do this film — and C.P.’s son saying, “You know, my mother would just be angry at my father running around with those people in the white robes, et cetera. She said he was wasting his time. But then he’d come home in the evening and make sure that we did our homework, made sure that we sat up at the table, and were eating.” And then he showed me this picture of him and his dad fishing, which was one of the things that they loved to do in terms of [the] father and son [relationship]. And I thought, you know, if I only see him as the Grand Dragon of the Klan, then I miss out on understanding his greater humanity of being a person on this earth. Whose politics I certainly don’t agree with. But he was also a father, and a husband, and someone who cared about raising his son. And so my notions about humanity really run deep, in that I think about the worth of every person on this earth and the worth of every person who contributes to Duke.

LP  40:10  

Thank you for reminding us that we’re bigger than any adjective or category. We’re human beings, which has been the core of many leaders like Dr. King and others. This idea of the worth and dignity of every human being. Thank you for that. Let me just pivot a little bit. But in many ways, it’s still on the thread of humanity. Thinking about the arts and human expression — I know you’re a member of the Triangle Advisory Board for the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, also a board member of the Center for Doc[umentary] Studies at Duke. Can you talk a little bit about the Center and the Festival, and what they do, and why you’re so committed to both?

BR  41:15  

Well, thinking about humanity — I got into psychology because of this interest in people and their lives and their stories. And so documentary film is a way of examining slices of humanity from different perspectives and viewpoints. I enjoy to some extent Hollywood movies. But I really enjoy nonfiction. Understanding, seeing, [and] hearing about slices of people’s lives [and] their stories. So my attraction to documentary film is just that. And some of the people [from] Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, one of the biggest festivals in the United States, came to me and said, “We see you at every festival. Would you be interested in being considered for the Board?” [This was] some whatever, a dozen years ago. [I said] “Tell me more.” And I got on the Board. On the Advisory Board of the festival. And then on the Board of the Center for Documentary Studies, which is the umbrella organization, and the festival is certainly a significant part of that. And it’s been an opportunity to learn about documentary filming, but also to play a role in helping documentary film be spread to a larger audience. Because it’s no secret that the kind of documentary films that we show in the festival tend to interest a segment of society. And so [I’m] thinking about how we open those films to a wider audience [and] how we think about the kinds of films we show to make sure that they’re relevant to a broader audience. And [to promote] the festival being the type of festival where the filmmakers actually come to the festival [and] the people who are the subject of films [will] often come to the festival. And having an opportunity to meet the filmmakers, who tend to stay for the whole full four days of the festival. To watch a major documentary film, to listen to the director, and then two hours later to be sitting watching another film with the directors, you know, sitting next to you, being interested in documentary films. And then being there with members of the Durham community [and] the Duke community Documentary films, Full Frame, [and the] Center for Documentary Studies are an important part of my life at Duke. I’m grateful to Duke for its enduring support of not only the Center, but the Full Frame Festival. We just had the festival a couple of weeks ago, and it was just glorious. I think I saw 12 films over four days.

LP  44:50  

Well, why do you think it’s important for that festival to be in the community, but [also] really out of Duke. Why is that important for our University?

BR  45:05  

A university, in part, helps students build this story. [The University] often helps people who come for healthcare here fix this story [and] re-enter their life in a different way. So it’s sort of interesting and appropriate, I think, for the University to be the great supporter of a film festival. Particularly a film festival that engages the Durham community, that takes place in the Durham community, that isn’t in a theater someplace that’s disconnected from the community. So, I think it’s important for the University. I’d like to think that Durham recognizes that it’s one of the efforts that the University makes [to] connect us in an authentic way with the community. So, it’s special, and I think it’s appropriate for Duke, given its history and given its role in helping build and expand the stories of students and others here.

LP  46:29  

Obviously, this is the Centennial. And you’ve reflected quite a bit on your journey, and key figures in the history at Duke, and where we are. As you look out to a second century — we won’t be here –but what are some of your hopes for Duke in the next century?

BR  47:00  

We all know that higher ed is undergoing some deep examination across our nation. Some of it with people questioning the value of a higher education, some people questioning the cost of higher education, the role of certain courses and majors within a higher education institution. So, I think there’s going to be some significant changes in higher education in the coming decade. But I would hope that Duke stays true to its role of educating the widest and broader span of — I was gonna say, Americans, but of people across this planet, in whatever form higher ed moves into. Whatever form of education and learning is prominent within the next decade. [I hope] we think about that as impacting and engaging the broadest range of people. Because that’s part of the Duke journey. Moving from a place that only provided education for one swath of America, to an institution that sees itself as being a place where students and others from all socio-economic levels and backgrounds can come. So whatever form this educational journey takes across our country, and at Duke, I hope that Duke continues to pay attention to being a place that’s receptive and aggressively reaches out to the widest span of humanity.

LP  48:58  

Thank you for your time, sharing your wisdom and insights, [and a] bit of your story and journey here. It’s so good to be with you again. And [thank you] for sharing your own humanity with us. So thanks again, Ben. 

BR  49:16  

Sure. It’s great to be with you.