William Fontaine was the first Black philospher to be tenured at Penn in the 1950s.  A feature in Penn Today explores the impact of this legacy and the future of race theory in the department. From the article:

In a way, Fontaine’s story as a Black philosopher showcases how far the field has evolved, both at Penn and generally, but also how far it still has to go. After Fontaine’s death in 1968, it was three decades before [Anita] Allen arrived at the University and another 17 years after that before Quayshawn Spencer joined the department as standing faculty. Yet in the past decade or so, there’s been a quiet but noticeable shift in the department’s makeup and scholarship.

The full article can be read here.