LEAD: Decentering Whiteness in the Academy
Channel: Rackham Graduate School - University of Michigan
Date: 2020-12-15

This LEAD conversation will address how administrators, faculty, and staff can decenter whiteness at an institutional level and create a sense of belonging for all. The racial inequities exposed by COVID-19 paired with a national uprising against systemic racism has led colleges and universities nationwide to prioritize anti-racist teaching. While these efforts are appreciated and long overdue, higher education institutions need to continue to examine how their policies and pedagogies have perpetuated racism and inequities and prohibited an inclusive learning environment for marginalized students. How can we demonstrate that actions to dismantle differential advantages—such as diversifying the curriculum, implementing holistic admissions practices, and recruiting and promoting people of color—are best for higher education institutions overall?