Freedom dreaming: Counterstories of Faculty Women of Color in the Academy (FWOCA) in Jesuit institutions

• In Event: Imagining an Otherwise World of Teaching: Teachers of Color as Curriculum Texts

Abstract

Bettina Love (2019) defines freedom dreaming as the ability to put radical imagination into action; uplifting the joy and healing of BIPOC educators, creating sites of compassion and spaces for BIPOC educators to thrive. Drawing from this aspirational framework, we introduce the counterstories of FWOCA at Jesuit institutions (the first study ever to focus on this population) that embody individual, collective, and collaborative forms of resistance. As we listened closely to our FWOCA colleagues’ voices, we soon realized that their experiences were far from straightforward. They taught us the importance of highlighting and uplifting the notion that hope and optimism are not necessarily antidotes to oppressive contexts. In turn, we came to value and amplify the temporary and permanent withdrawals, disengagements from, and refusal to participate in colonial academic activity. We view such intentionality as potential alternate elsewheres and nows for FWOCA.

Authors

• Aurora Chang, Loyola University Chicago

• Paige Gardner, Loyola University Chicago

• Alaa Abdelghaffar, Loyola University Chicago

• Karina Castro, Loyola University Chicago

• Arli Mohamed, amohamed7@luc.edu

• Aleta Garrett, Loyola University Chicago