Between the Academy and Us: A Collaborative Account of Black Women's Experiences Navigating White Supremacy in Academia

In this paper, we, three Black women academics, share some of our experiences navigating the euro-centered, hierarchical system in academia, which Patricia Hill Collins aptly identified as the eurocentric knowledge validation process. This insidious process seeks to undermine the contributions of Black feminist thought and to discredit the knowledge and expertise of Black scholars. What began as anger over a journal reviewer's comments evolved into three letters detailing the intellectual harm we faced as students and faculty, and the significance of defending and centering our communities. Inspired by bell hooks’ “Killing Rage: Militant Resistance” and Audre Lorde's “The Uses of Anger,” which affirms anger as a powerful and appropriate response to oppression, these letters confront our rage against academia, and bear witness to its capacity to resist, and inspire courageous action. Through critical self-reflection, we highlight the inextricable link between the personal and the academic. By critiquing aspects of the academy, such as the peer review process and education, we aim to raise awareness about colonial frameworks that limit diverse epistemic possibilities in academia, and inflict institutional harm. In sharing our experiences, we advocate for diverse ways of thinking, knowing, and engaging in academia. Each individual letter includes practical suggestions, and we conclude with a joint letter offering a path forward for Black folks to create a home for themselves in academia.