he started his career as a sales representative for pepsi cola, then was a manager for a memphis nightclub, and a road manager for the birmingham black barons baseball team. as an academic, he taught at clark atlanta university in atlanta, georgia, for eleven years, from 1962 to 1972. he served as adjunct or visiting professor at portland state university in oregon, union theological seminary in the city of new york, fordham university, brown university, and at the university of ghana. in 1970, he became the founding president of the black academy of letters. from 1973 to 1976, he served as professor of religion and of sociology and chairman of the department of religion and philosophical studies at fisk university. from 1976 to 1993, he taught religion and culture at duke university in durham, north carolina.