The former Chief Diversity Officer at the College at Brockport is speaking on camera for the first time since he was fired in January.

Dr. Archie was honored Sunday, along with Jackie Dozier and Constance Mitchell, by the Black Student Caucus of the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. 

He says he couldn't discuss what lead to his termination as Chief Diversity Officer at Brockport, but he told us what happened afterwards.

"The first thing that I stated to the person who communicated it to me is, 'I need to make sure this will not impact my students negatively, our students negatively, because they are coming here to have opportunities at a better life and what we don't want this to become is a barrier or something that impedes them from being successful academically,'" said Dr. Archie.

 Dr. Archie called the leadership of students and faculty exceptional for pushing for more fairness and representation at the college following his firing.

He also sent them a message.

"I ask the people who have been at the forefront of all of this to not lose that zeal, not lose that drive and not lose that hope that things can become better but when we operate in silos is when we lose the momentum behind the change that we truly need and we are asking for," Dr. Archie said.

Rev. Myra Brown, president of the Black Student Caucus, says they honored Dr. Archie for his efforts to fight against power structures that weren't designed for people of color.

"Sometimes it is a difficult journey and sometimes structures aren't ready for it but you need courageous leaders who will stand up and hold the banner up anyway and push in and do that work and he is one of those people and we felt it was really important for us as the black student caucus to acknowledge the work he is doing," Brown explained.

"To even be considered amongst these people is very humbling as the legacy I wished to lead is one for all people so really making that part of our work and not just singularly someone's work," added Dr. Archie.

At this time, Dr. Archie says he's considering several jobs in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion.

He believes that there are greater opportunities ahead of him.