The Importance of Invitation to the Table in Higher Education

• In Event: A Call to Re-IMAGINE Mixed-Methods Research in the Black Lives Matter Era

Abstract

Shirley Chisholm has been noted for her powerful quotation “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” As an African American woman with little support or an invitation into politics, she still ran for her seat in Congress in 1968 and later ran for the U.S. Presidency. Her quotation suggests that although opportunities were not readily offered, it should not deter you from moving forward. It is important to strive for your goals, not the limited expectations others have for you.

According to Merriam-Webster (2021), an invitation is often a formal request for someone to participate in an event or someone is given access to something exclusive. Although many institutions, corporations, and systems still shy away from diversity, some are reluctant to extend the invitation to dialogue with someone outside of their norm. It is this small act that denies access and often promotes discriminatory practices. Given the advancements in the world, one would think we would have a broader idea of opportunity and access in this world. Some consider institutions of higher learning naturally to be the land of open-mindedness, innovative ideas, and the kind of courageous conversations that Singleton (2005) described in his book. History shows that many institutions still embrace a culture firmly rooted in exclusive practices that support ideologies like sexism, nepotism, ageism, and racism.

During the height of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the world witnessed the senseless onslaught of Black and Brown people regularly on TV, online, and on the streets. In response to the unnecessary murders of so many Black people around the world, the BLM movement, which was founded in 2013 after Trayvon Martin was brutally murdered, gained momentum. BLM took place across many countries, U.S. Cities, and even within our colleges and universities. BLM began to cast a light on everyday practices and policies that supported exclusivity and denied access to the masses. Police protocols, voting policies, admission requirements, scholarships awards, and testing guidelines were all being scrutinized, and societal norms disrupted.

The Anti-Racist movement also emerged in many industries as a result of the focus on the BLM Movement where many challenged, and still challenge, what it meant to be racist. Kendi (2019) explained that anyone who supports any institutional or systemic practice(s) that excludes or deny access based on race is deemed racist. Being antiracist is the act of extending an invitation to the table, event, or opportunity and not being exclusive based on race or ethnicity. It is in the act of extending the invitation that innovative change and the opportunity for advancement begin. Using a mixed methods research approach, this talk will build on the work of Singleton, Kendi, and the Disruptive Innovation framework (Christensen et al., 2006; Christensen et al. 2015) in an effort to better understand the importance and parameters of the “invitation” in an effort to promote innovation in higher education—consistent with the tenets of IMAGINE.

Author

• Aliya Holmes, Saint John's University