Intermediary Public Policy Organizations and the Discursive Evasion of Systemic Racism and Racialized Violence

• In Event: Reimagining Higher Education During a Global Pandemic

Abstract

A global health pandemic and a resurgence of protests against systemic racism has broad implications for higher education. The COVID-19 crisis has been shown to disproportionally harm racial and ethnic minorities, while people of color are also on the frontlines protesting the police murder of Black individuals. Together, these events suggest students of color and their success warrant greater attention during the COVID-19 crisis. Yet, the degree to which race and racism have been recognized within the higher education community in response to COVID-19 and racialized violence is largely unknown. This study examines the policy discourses advanced by Intermediary Public Policy Organizations and the discursive evasion of race perpetuated by such neoliberal discourses.

Authors

• Casey McCoy-Simmons, University of Denver

• Cecilia M. Orphan, University of Denver

• Denisa Gandara, The University of Texas - Austin