We're Dying Over Here: Seizing the Triple Pandemic for a Radical Liberatory Higher Education

• In Event: Education and Global Crises: Climate, Health, and Inequality in the United States and Abroad

Abstract

Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) continue to be hardest hit among postsecondary institutions because of the triple pandemic, namely Covid-19, police brutality, and the economic shutdowns. As such, it is critical to learn from MSIs during times of crises to build upon our knowledge of how to serve Students of Color during difficult times. The purpose of this presentation is to explore the macro educational politics that fueled micro tensions in our praxis as professors situated at MSIs. Our examination revealed how MSIs can offer symbolic acts of support while reproducing colonial systems that maintained rigidity and suspicion to retain control during crises. Using our testimonios, we provide recommendations for institutional leaders to support faculty and students during crises.

Authors

• Sosanya M. Jones, Howard University
  Presenting Author

• Blanca E. Vega, Montclair State University
  Presenting Author