Two Life Stories: Reflections of One Black Woman Law Professor

The dispute at Harvard Law School over the absence of Black women from the faculty is disturbing.' Particularly distressing is the use of the term "role model" as the articulated rationale for hiring a Black woman law professor.' The term "role model" seems soft, unlike the word "mentor.". A role model is a person whose "behavior in a particular role is imitated by others." 3 Most often a "role model" is passive, an image to be emulated. On the other hand, a mentor is more aggressively involved with her prot6g6. The word "mentor" has an intellectual connotation which the term "role model" generally lacks. Because mentors provide some intellectual guidance, they also must be respected intellectually. Good law teachers are intellectually challenging and aggressively involved with students. Thus the need for Black women mentors/intellectuals is a better justification for hiring Black women as law teachers than is the need for. role models. Law faculties may not take this argu-