Whiteness and racialized emotions in leaders’ planning and implementing equity in graduate education organizations.

Abstract

Designing racial diversity and equity initiatives is increasingly prevalent in higher education organizations, often in response to social demands for racial justice, yet many leaders are often underprepared to lead their program or school toward change that centers racial justice in policy, practices, and culture. Moreover, the prevalence of whiteness and racialized emotions challenge leaders as they attempt to carry out change. In this critical comparative case study of one graduate school and six graduate programs across three historically white-serving public institutions, I examine how whiteness via racialized emotions emerged in leaders' diversity and equity planning and implementation. I consider ramifications for racially just organizational transformation in higher education and suggest leaders decenter white-racialized emotions prevalent throughout the equity planning and implementation process.

Lessons on addressing whiteness in diversity and equity initiatives: Recommendations for leaders and organizational practice.

“…Within the context of racialized organizations, Ray (2019) described how Whiteness as a credential helps leaders and organizations appear racially neutral, when in reality the organization and its leaders are enmeshed in the property interests of Whiteness. I argue Whiteness does not abstractly float within an organization but is historically embedded and reconstituted by leaders who make decisions and act upon policies and practices (Feagin & Ducey, 2019), and those decisions are informed by leaders’ racialized emotions (Bonilla-Silva, 2019; Southern, 2024; A. H. Wingfield & Alston, 2014).…”

“…In higher education, White individuals engage with issues of race within the bounds of their racial comfort; for example, a common component of diversity initiatives are public dialogues about race, but the dialogues are typically created as emotionally comfortable spaces for White people who want to engage with diversity but avoid appearing racist (Leonardo & Porter, 2010). Whiteness works through racialized emotions to coax leaders to give into the ease of their own racialized emotional comfort (Southern, 2024; A. Wingfield, 2010; Zembylas, 2012) as they lead equity initiatives.…”

“…Wingfield, 2010). Often when White faculty, students, and leaders feel racial discomfort, they seek control to reinstate their comfort (Evans & Moore, 2015;Southern, 2024;A. Wingfield, 2010).…”

“…Wingfield, 2010; Zembylas, 2012) as they lead equity initiatives. Relatedly, Whiteness also works to redirect leaders’ focus and center the anticipated or expressed White racialized emotions of their colleagues (Bonilla-Silva, 2019; Lewis & Diamond, 2015; Southern, 2024). Although everyone experiences racialized emotions, White racialized emotions are privileged, and White individuals develop affective interests mirroring the structure of their racialized power (Bonilla-Silva, 2019; A.…”