The Body, Separated: Experiences of Non-White Professionals at Evangelic Christian Colleges and Universities

• In Event: Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: Using Life Stories to Illuminate Marginalized Voices

Abstract

This study explores the experiences of non-white professionals that have worked or are working at evangelic Christian colleges and universities. These institutions suffer from a foundation of whiteness that stems from the racial inequity and prejudice within the evangelic church denominations that founded them. As such, these institutions have found limited success in supporting racial diversity. Using critical race theory, I develop a portraiture that seeks to understand how non-white professionals make sense of their racialized experiences within the white space of these institutions. From personal narratives I identify successes at these colleges and obstacles that exist that are preventing evangelic Christian colleges and universities from succeeding at their efforts to become more racially diverse.

Author

• Andrew Pollom, Lake Forest College