His lifelong career in higher education includes teaching positions at Fisk University, St. Augustine's College, North Carolina College and Howard University. He joined the faculty at the University of Chicago in 1964, where he chaired the Department of History from 1967 to 1970 and served as the John Matthews Manly distinguished service professor of history from 1969 to 1982. He is currently the James B. Duke professor emeritus of history at Duke University and a professor of legal history at Duke University Law School. In 1978 he was elected to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. His honors also include the prestigious Spingarn Medal, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's highest honor for meritorious service.
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