Blackwomen* Academics as Contemporary Anti-Slavery Rebels: Breachers of the Intersecting Contract in Tenure Denial Lawsuits

Set Ablaze Yet Not Consumed: Tenure Seeking Blackwomxn and Black Feminist Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching and Mentoring during COVID-19

“…This unrealistic expectation that Nia described is illustrative of Blackwomxn's labor and bodies being used to benefit the white academy. As discussed in the literature, Blackwomxn's intellectual and physical contributions are demanded and exploited without regard for their wellbeing (Ward et al, 2023). Participants discussed strategies for responding to the expectations from the academy and students, reflecting what we identified as contemporary anti-slavery rebel behavior.…”

“…Otherwise, "identity-neutral" policies do not consider the experiences of womxn who are more likely to have more commitments and care-taking responsibilities that may interfere with productivity. More specifically, Blackwomxns' labor has been historically exploited in the academy and society at large (Ward et al, 2023). We acknowledge that institutions have a responsibility to support Blackwomxn faculty.…”

“…According to Ward et al (2023), Blackwomxn's social status was historically established through the exploitation of their bodies and labor, legally and socially justified, to benefit white capitalism. During the enslavement era, Blackwomxn served an active role in leading and participating in rebellions against slavery and attacks on white enslavers.…”

“…In the modern-day context, Blackwomxn faculty have exercised agency and resistance in ways that the authors posit is similar to enslaved Blackwomxn. We apply the contemporary anti-slavery rebel framework (Ward et al, 2023) to think about Blackwomxn faculty's teaching and mentoring approaches with Students of Color. Influenced by Angela Davis' (1971) "Reflections on the Black Women's Role in the Community of Slaves," the authors identified four identities of a contemporary antislavery rebel in relationship to historically enslaved Blackwomxn:…”

“…We assert that the historical (mis)treatment of Blackwomxn is facilitated by controlling images of Blackwomxnhood and can be traced back to enslavement (Collins, 2000). Historical stereotypes and tropes of Blackwomxn are embedded in education institutions, and as Blackwomxn faculty navigate them, they encounter anti-Black gendered racism, marginalization, and discrimination (Ward & Hall, 2022;Ward et al, 2023). Our approach to examining the experiences of Blackwomxn faculty during COVID-19 is rooted in the belief that "for institutional change to be transformative, it must be approached intersectionally to actually advance racial equity" (Patton & Haynes, 2018, p. 12).…”