Academic Insurrections - a New Power on the Margins
“Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of oppression ... real power, comes from conviction which produces uncompromising action. It also produces insurrection against oppression. This is the only way you end oppression—with power.” MalcolmX, Jan 1965 )
As an African American woman, I learned a lot of American history in predominantly White institutions (PWIs). For many students within the US, the bias of White teachers created an understanding of the enslaved workers as victims, ignorant and weak. But as an adult, I began to critically challenge those assumptions. One of the ways I saw the power of my own ancestors was through slave insurrections. (See the History Channel's insights into seven slave insurrections here.)
These acts of courage bring to mind my favorite words in my favorite Negro Spiritual, O Freedom. The words that I most favor are, "And before I'll be a slave, I'll be buried in my grave, and go home to my God and be free." (For more on the significance of Black spirituals as poetry, click here.)
Freedom is a word that is thrown about a lot in the US these days. In fact, if I see the word "Freedom" in the US political scene, I now presume this to be code for "White" freedom which is purchased with "Black precarity." (See the Pew Research Center for additional insights into the Freedom Caucus as one example.) There are fewer places with precarity more acute for Black women than within higher education, or the "American Academy."
Black Women on the Margins
If Black women are the most oppressed within academic settings by virtue of being undervalued within job hires, the types of courses offered, the core curriculum and the research agendas supported, then Black women appear to be without power. This would have no small impact upon Black women operating as independent scholars at disproportionate rates.
This means that, as independent scholars, we are more likely to operate without university support which means a lot of funding will not be available to us. It also means that we are more likely to struggle to have access to library resources, university offices which provide space to conduct our research, and the assumption of colleagues that we are unable to obtain full-time employment because we are less academically rigorous.
Even when you know this is not true, it can be challenging to know you have mortgaged your future to obtain the highest degree available, only to have that same institution freeze you out and treat you as irrelevant. There are many insurrections these days. The US witnessed a deeply concerning insurrection on January 6th, 2021 where White nationalists came together, across various backgrounds, for one common goal: to overthrow a free and fair election.
African descended people have increased their participation in higher education within religion. For example, according to Racial/Ethnic Distribution of Degrees in Religion,
"The share of traditionally underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities earning master’s degrees in the academic study of religion more than doubled from 2007 to 2014, rising from 9.4% to 22.3% (Indicator II-53b). As was true at the bachelor’s level, almost all of the growth can be attributed to an increase in the percentage of African Americans earning such degrees. These students’ share rose from 5.8% to 17.4% over the same time period."
According to Equality in Higher Education, UK professors by ethnic group, 2020-21, the breakdown is: Whites are 90.1%, Asian 4.0%, Chinese 2.3%, Mixed 1.6%, Other 1.4%, Black, 0.7%. Blacks represent the only group that is consistenly under 1%. Numbers are quite similar in the US despite Black, African descended people representing approximately 13% of the population.
If Black people in general, but Black women in particular, are going to continue to mortgage their futures to obtain these degrees there must be an alternative strategy where the investment is equaled in opportunity. The best way to secure opportunities is to fight.
The article, "The Systemic Scarcity of Tenured Black Women," demonstrates this point. Merely "increasing the number of Black women with Ph.D.s does nothing to address the structural barriers they face throughout the process of seeking tenured positions," writes Zawadi Rucks-Ahidiana.
Creating Power on the Margins
There are many ways for Black women to fight back. Two of the most popular are to: leave academia and work in non-profits or as consultants - often earning significantly more than academics; work as independent scholars. If Black women are employed as full-time academics, they can work to ensure their doctoral students have teaching, grant writing and publishing strengths which make it harder for them to be overlooked.
We can cultivate relationships with grant funders ... There are many ways for us to push back.
Malcolm X said that the power to resist oppression is greater than all the strength of those who create those oppressive modes of being. In addition, Malcolm X indicated that oppression can only be overcome by power. It is your power on the margins which will end the situational politics of resisting Black women within religious academic settings. By "situational politics," I am talking about the way each situation is moulded to create a political ethos which advocates for "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)" while simultaneously keeping Black women out of paid positions.
Next Steps
What is your next course of action? Look at the options we have listed and consider if one of these or a different one would work for you. Identify your needs (financial, geographic and "fulfilment" needs).
Consider how you can best position yourself to meet those needs. Formulate a plan as to what you will do today that ensures you will be where you want to be by the end of this year.
Power is not only about where you sit at the table: power is also the capacity for table building.
You can create your own future, and help others in the process. Doing this allows you to become the academic insurrectionist that is needed within religious scholarship today!
You will embody that power on the margins as you open up the gates!
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