Entertainers or Education Researchers? The Challenges Associated With Presenting While Black

• In Event: Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: Performing Blackness in Higher Education

Abstract

Historical objectification and lingering perceptions of black people as subaltern sources of entertainment often accompanies and frames peer attitudes toward black faculty presenters within white-dominated educational venues (ex. national conferences, job talks). How black faculty are perceived while presenting has implications for their career trajectories and represents an under-explored topic in education research. We interviewed 33 black professors and qualitatively analyzed their experiences across multiple presentation contexts. This proposal shares findings gleaned from interviews appertaining to how black faculty recognize, interpret, and respond to how they are perceived while presenting within a context of racialized academic scrutiny. Participants discussed encountering multiple layers of racial stereotyping and bias, and how racial awareness helped them develop coping mechanisms to manage audience reactions.

Authors

• Lasana Kazembe, DePaul University

• Ebony Omotola McGee, Vanderbilt Peabody College