Division J Graduate Session: (Re)Imagining Higher Education From a Black Feminist Lens

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

Centering Black women, Black feminism highlights much of the interlocking natures of race, gender, and class oppressions (Collins, 1986). Moreover, the work of Black feminists has long critiqued systems that keep folks, particularly Black women, at the margins of society. Given its vast utility to challenge systems of oppression, a viewing of higher education from lens of Black feminism might allow us to expand our thinking of many issues in higher education such as college access and success, equity and inclusion, and student development. Further, how might we expand our thinking as a higher education community without co-opting the voices, narratives of Black women that Black feminists seek to keep at the center? This session plans to grapple with this and many more difficult questions.

This session plans to use a conversational style format to showcase a discussion about how Black feminist thinking will allow us to (re)imagine the problems in the higher education field. Our session includes two Black feminist scholars who focus on education work. Additionally, our session will use prompts to help conversation flow and allow for a nuanced understanding of potential triumphs and challenges of viewing higher education from a Black feminist lens. Towards the end, we plan to make space for attendees to ask questions.

Sub Unit

• Division J - Postsecondary Education

Chairs

• Selyna Perez Beverly, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Estefania Toledo, University of Toronto

• Joshua Wallace, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Panelists

• Wilson Kwamogi Okello, University of North Carolina - Wilmington

• Venus E. Evans-Winters, African American Policy Forum