An African-American associate professor began a hunger strike yesterday outside of the provost’s office, protesting what he claims were racist motives behind the denial of his tenure. Biological Engineering Associate Professor James L. Sherley first threatened the strike on Dec. 19, 2006 in a letter he titled, “A plea to end racism at MIT.” The letter prompted Provost L. Rafael Reif to announce plans to create a committee investigating minority hiring practices.