#SayTheirNames: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Postsecondary Institutional Responses to the Spring 2020 Racial Uprisings

• In Event: Centering Minoritized Identities Within Organizational Theory

Abstract

This study is a critical discourse analysis of public statements from postsecondary leaders related to the widespread racial uprisings that occurred following the killing of George Floyd in May 2020. Specifically, the researcher asks of each statement: (1) What racialized discourse(s) is present in response to the uprisings? (2) How do institutional leaders use “racism,” “anti-blackness,” and other race-conscious terms to frame societal or on-campus incidents of racism? (3) How do statements reflect an institutional commitment to relevant and concrete actions in effort to mitigate anti-blackness and racism? Across the 29 statements, prevalent discursive strategies involve the use of language that minimizes difference across racialized experiences yet (acritically) acknowledges the endemic nature of racism and anti-blackness in society.

Author

• Kaylan Baxter, University of Southern California