Black Out: Backlash and Betrayal in the Academy and Beyond

Abstract:

This article examines the backlash and betrayal that many individuals and organizations, including professors, K–12 schools, and college and universities, have faced in the aftermath of the so-called racial awakening that followed the horrific killing of George Floyd. Using the lens of Derrick Bell’s racial realism, I examine the predictability of efforts to silence conversations and actions related to combating anti-Blackness in America and the continued use of Black deaths to further the social, economic, and political progress of non-Black groups in the academy and beyond. I conclude with recommendations for righting racial wrongs, especially in American colleges and universities.

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