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Paper details: Resources this week speak about the conviction and courage required to understand and speak to systems and hierarchies of power. Using the hot topic article about pandemics, write an essay on how educational institutions can effectively address systemic racism.
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A Pandemic Amongst a Pandemic: The Black Community Is Exhausted
Advice & News | by Leslie Ekpe
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Johnny Silvercloud/Shutterstock
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an
elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not
appreciate your neutrality.” – Desmond Tutu
Dear University Officials:
I am a Black doctoral student who is disheartened by the monotonous statements from
universities addressing the systemic racism that has plagued our communities over the past
few weeks. I am sharing my thoughts and perspective with you because I believe that it is
essential you recognize what many of the individuals in the Black community are experiencing
in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Black academics are facing traumatizing events, and
a statement is not going to be enough. In the wake of the protests against the murders of
Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and the multiple lynchings
masked as suicides, the boilerplate statements presented by administrators of universities far
and near is a clear representation of the trends in direct obliviousness in addressing structural
racism. Unfortunately, entirely too often, we see this to be the nature of the academy. The Black
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only a national issue; it is infiltrating our college classrooms.
Being Black in America is overwhelming. It is time to stop ignoring that fact. Black Americans
are dying at a disproportionate rate at the hands of police officers, all the while also dying at
three times the rate of white people due to COVID-19. Some claim that these two issues -police brutality and the coronavirus — are related to each other. In both cases, the severity of
the death toll derives from structural racism and injustice.
Moreover, a thorough reexamining of systemic racism is needed for the remedy. We cannot
erase 400 years of injustice, but we can strive — now and collectively — to ensure that America
is a place where everyone will treat equality with integrity and fairness. The anti-Blackness
propaganda is being practiced in our institutions, and unfortunately, ignorance has created
barriers in the dismantling of these practices. The fight you are witnessing for racial equality is
not new to the Black community in the academy. There is a clear gap in universities upholding
the commitments contained in mission and vision statements versus what is being practiced.
The acts of racism are being normalized across our nation. Thus, many individuals have
systematized bigotry as a natural part of the culture of higher education. So, while you may
believe that the academy has made strides in reconstructing the structural practices and
policies that permeate bias and prejudice, it is clear that societies’ influences will continue to
enact challenges on the discussion of race and racism in the academy. Don’t ignore this.
James Baldwin once stated, ‘I can’t believe what you say, because I see what you do.’ It is time
to do more. I share the following suggestions to help you be more cognizant of Black
academics’ sentiments during this upsetting time.
Language Matters
Pay close attention to the words that you use in statements that address your community. By
stating that individuals in your communities have ‘free speech,’ you are enabling individuals of
other races who are not Black to infiltrate the corrupt system. Your ineffective statements mirror
ethical relativism dressed as what is equitable. And while the academy is encouraged by the
momentum for change, there is a recognized worry that administrators are missing the mark in
addressing the pervasive racism that is taking place within universities with pacifying ‘WE ARE
WITH YOU’ statements.
Can we agree that we operate inside a culture that needs to be questioned, rather than
handled as a brand? As higher education administrators, you have a moral responsibility due to
Black academics. Statements and actions from the universities should assume those
responsibilities, not undermine them. Whether deliberate or not, the rhetoric of ‘inclusivity’ may
be a means for universities to abdicate their duty to do their part in removing segregation and
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patriarchal processes. It is time for mission statements that illuminate the inclusivity that your
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university has yet to offer. It is time for administrators to set out clear outlines and actionable
steps to create change, not just at the administrative and leadership levels, but also in white
colleagues’ behavior and mindset. It is in the university’s best interest that when decisions are
made that directly affect Black academics, we are actively involved. We need our white peers
to note their cultural advantages and bring attention to these problems by ensuring that as such
decisions take place and choices are made, the Black community is actively engaged. Change
starts with dialogue, and we must be able to do the work to have these conversations.
While your dedication to ensuring the campus populations’ well-being is appreciated, also
realize the challenges Black academics are facing when adapting to the ‘new norm’ the COVID19 pandemic has brought. We are fighting an uphill battle of questioning whether the next
hashtag will be our father, mother, sister, brother, or even ourselves. For Black scholars, the
problem of concentrating and focusing on academics is even more complicated when we live
moment to moment with a reasonable fear of unjustifiably being killed daily at the hands of
police. Be wary of this and create action plans that encompass deliberate initiatives that will
ensure safety for the Black community. Too few Black academics have someone to share our
daily encounters of racial tension, feelings of disdain and marginalization, and racial fight
fatigue. The last thing we need is decisions being made on our behalf that are not a direct
representation of what is needed.
Intentionally Listening
The Black community needs administrators to listen with intent. In recent weeks, we have seen
scholars on Twitter address discriminatory practices and conversations that have directly
impacted their educational journeys (#BlackInIvory, #BlackInTheAcademy, #MinorityTax).
These reports should not be brushed under the carpet like the others concealed for the
university’s reputation. Not only have these hashtags been quite disturbing, but the hashtags
have revealed once more the altogether hate and prejudice that continues to have a
disproportionate impact on Black communities causing constant anxiety, anger, and pain.
It is not up to you to tell Black scholars how they should feel. The racialized society is in a
current state of grotesqueness. The deluge of suffering and the flood of deliberate ignorance in
the wake of abuse generates considerable distrust in addressing institutional injustice
problems. These are lived experiences of your Black community, so it’s not the responsibility of
the higher-ups to investigate whether the experiences are credible. It is also not Black peoples’
responsibility to make you feel better about the mild frustration protesting of racism causes to
you.
Think about the decisions that you are making before enacting them. Are they creating
disadvantages for the Black community? Even though you are accountable to your institution
as administrators, remember that your actions will inevitably directly affect your Black
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their expectations are addressed explicitly.
Promote Inclusivity
As administrators tasked with making challenging decisions, I ask that you consider how your
actions are consistent with the university’s mission and vision statements. The university should
be employing and practicing inclusivity throughout campus, not just in the diversity and
inclusion office. We are sick of people running behind quotations from Martin Luther King Jr.
and practicing the total opposite of what he believed. It is up to university leadership to choose
where to go from here: anarchy or community? There is an opportunity — indeed, a duty — to
uplift the discourse on race, class, police brutality, and dignity.
It is time to begin encouraging anti-racist legislation, culturally sensitive curricula, nonviolent
demonstrations, critical dialogue, and constructive debates on these difficult topics. Universities
should strive for communities that are accepting and tolerant of everyone — understanding of
all. My skin tone should not preclude me from earning a place on campus — much like your
facial image or name should not keep you out. We are both going to be better off to address the
elephant in the room, just as you would if your white community were at risk. No matter
whether physical or mental, challenges are part of the road to meaningful progress. Less talk,
more action. If you invest thousands of dollars into inclusive marketing, make sure you keep
the same energy when investing in university practices.
Speak Against Racism and Social Inequality
As university leaders, it is critical to be intentional in addressing the systemic racism occurring
in our nation because it ultimately has a direct impact on your university. It is challenging for the
Black community to maintain professional and scholarly responsibilities after witnessing our
brothers’ and sisters’ lynching due to racial profiling. Your Black community is running on
fumes. We are tired. We are angry. Unfortunately, this space is also very familiar. Cultural
discrimination is intolerable, and at our world-leading institutions, we cannot tolerate faculty,
staff, researchers, and students being abuse victims. We expect institutions to have robust
procedures in place to respond to incidents. At a time, such as this, your silence speaks
volumes. Support the Black community as much as you do when cheering for us on the field
and court. You cannot acknowledge Juneteenth by bringing news of true freedom — freedom
from oppression, violence, and systemic racism — when your university practices reflect the
direct opposite. Even after a century and a half, that goal remains sadly evasive in many ways.
Recommit yourself as a university to be partners on the path to achieving true equality for your
Black community and turning attention toward the mission of anti-racism resolutely. Your efforts
may be lengthy, and the battle may be rough, but be aware that there is no progress without
struggle.
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Morgan Pettway
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3 years ago
“Keep that same energy …” as a former graduate student, I felt that in my soul. Several great points!
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Maxwell
3 years ago
Very well put article outlining the mental toll recent events in this country has put on black Americans. All
and inclusion departments should the taking the steps mentioned here to ensure their black American stu
feel safe and wanted on their respected campus.
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Jarett Fields
3 years ago
Asè!!
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Stuart Rosenberg
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The article only addresses police brutality and the deaths from Covid 19. We should realize what the term
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brutality means…white police officers indiscriminately killing black people for no reason. Even if that is tru
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percentage of these deaths is miniscule compared to the murder of black on black in cities like Chicago. O
course, no mention of this in the article. How convenient to ignore this powerful impact on the entire black
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You should then write a rejoinder with historical and scholarly evidence. The writer was addressi
made. It is not just the police, the entire criminal justice system in the United States needs a rebo
View More ArticlesSystemic or structural injustice is the name (for neophytes). Years of slavery, segregation, black
Jim Crow laws, and policies that undermine minority populations have created the inner city viole
alluded to. You should take some time to read about American history! Our actions or inactions t
shape tomorrow. Enough is enough!
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