Coalition for Women's Identities
Tuesday, 2 May 2017 - 3:00pm

The first time I attended ACPA’s Annual Convention1, I was taken aback by the spaces cultivated by other femme of color scholar-practitioners, from students to senior-level administrators. Organic spaces and identity-based formal coalitions were intended to support others for things like article publishing, becoming tenure-track faculty, or socials for mentoring connections. From the claps, laughs, and “mhmms” in the Unveiling the Hidden Curriculum: Strategies for Black Women in Higher Education & Student Affairs workshop, or the hugs and relationship-building in the Coalition for Women’s Identities MOSAIC 2 Social and Dialogue Space (formerly Women of Color)- my soul became full. The celebration of enriching other femmes and Black folx was incredibly powerful.

 

This year, as I returned to another convention as an entry-level professional, I highly anticipated engaging in these spaces to get fuel to return to the demands of everyday worklife. Rather, I depended on the cultural space to be there, as it is now my safe haven.

As a high school dropout raised on the rough edges of the East Coast, I saw getting a G.E.D. and a college degree as an answer to a happier life than that which my community had. I found the field of student affairs during my undergrad years, and quickly committed to completing a Master’s and joining the field. The degrees have afforded me the privilege of upward mobility and establishing security in my social class--although, I didn’t always recognize upward mobility would cost more than the initial price tag. Distance from my family, a mountain of private loans, and fatigue from the hostile environment during my academic program were just some of the largest expenses. Now, closing my first year as an entry-level professional, I realize this has only fortified me for what is to come.

 

Today, processing national trauma as a result of our current political climate, processing racial injustice to Black folks like Sandra Bland, Natasha McKenna, and Philando Castile, while coping with everyday racism does require a considerable amount of mental energy from staff, faculty, and students nationwide. Institutions are not void of the issues surrounding them, and academia carries additional disparities that disproportionately impact people of color, and all carrying historically marginalized identities.  

 

In her 2016 article in The Atlantic, Adrienne Greene explains:

For minorities on campus, surviving and thriving despite multiple encounters with racism or stereotyping may require a different type of approach than do typical college struggles like balancing work and class. W.E.B. Du Bois coined the concept of “double consciousness,” whereby black people are essentially forced to have two identities and pressured to view themselves as they’re perceived by their non-black peers. That psychology can create a unique circumstance for black people in higher education today—a psychology some researchers argue may even lead to mental-health problems that go unnoticed.

 

Race conscious people in higher education may need to live a “double life” to somewhat dissociate from perceptions and stereotypes. It wasn’t always evident to me that an extensive amount of work needs to be spent on modifying how I show up within academic spaces- to protect myself.

 

In addition, implications are likely for those who aren’t successful navigating institutional politics and bureaucracy. Currently under review with NASPA Journal about Women in Higher Education, Shawna Patterson-Stephens’ Operationalizing Influence and Effective Change suggests that Black women require levels of influence while navigating academic politics to avoid professional isolation. As a First-Generation, Afro-Caribbean, Femme, Queer, entry-level scholar-practitioner, with PTSD- the additional intellectual, emotional, financial, mental, and social aspects of labor I need to spend in the field isn’t often seen.

 

Toward the end of ACPA’s Annual Convention this past March, incoming ACPA President Stephen Quaye made his responsive and powerful Presidential Address. Quaye spoke of centering part of his work on the healing and trauma of scholar-practitioners … acknowledging the real-life effects of racism in and out of the field of higher education. An example is #EverydayBlackness, an initiative to unsilence the fear and journey of those impacted by Racial Battle Fatigue. In that moment, I felt heard in a way that I haven’t in a long while. My eyes began to water, so I went to the back of the exhibit hall away from others to let them fall. To my right, someone who I perceived to be Black gravitated toward the back as well, and began to wipe their eyes.

 

What do we do with this?

 

Fulfilling domains of wellness as a femme of color in higher education and student affairs is ultimately, critical. Here are some ways I try to take care of myself:  

 

  • Engaging in affinity groups on campus, locally, nationally, and through the web. In addition, being in community with and supporting the development of students with historically marginalized identities, or students experiencing difficulty continues to make an impact on me. In addition, continuing to center my pedagogy, research, and focus on culturally-responsive theories.

  • Recognizing the people who’ve come before me. Remembering my parents sacrificed much themselves, including leaving Jamaica so their children could access a better education. I also have to thank my ancestors, who paved the way, and made it easier for me to access and navigate spaces like academia. In addition, seeking continuous support, feedback, and guidance from mentors.

  • Taking advantage of university resources. From healthcare to state-employee programs, I have access to counselors who use culturally-relevant practice, and many forms of support through our Employee Assistance Program. One result was informed support for supplemental income, leading me to sell homemade products.

  • “Loving on Myself”. In the process of unlearning to put others before myself, I focus on the things that make me happy, and figuring out new things that make me happy. This could look like quality time with people I care about, building community, hobbies that get me out of the house, or a good “Black Cosplay” search on Tumblr.

 

Resources for the soul:

CWI MOSAIC Facebook Community (new)

CWI MOSAIC Mentee Application

Black Student Affairs Professionals Facebook Community

National Alliance on Mental Illness (your state chapter)

 

Notes:

ACPA’s Annual Convention 1

  • College Student Educators International hosts an annual convention that is curriculum and competency driven, providing opportunities to engage in exploration of cultural, global, and contemporary issues in higher education

Coalition for Women’s Identities MOSAIC 2

  • ACPA’s Coalition for Women's Identities supports, develops, and empowers the spectrum of women- and female-identified people and those in solidarity with us through advocacy and activism, engaging community, and scholarship. CWI MOSAIC supports the unique experiences that take place at the marginalized intersection of race and gender.

 

 

Shanice Clarke

 

Directorate Member, Coalition for Women’s Identities

 

Portland State University

Program Coordinator, Pan-African Commons

sclarke@pdx.edu

@FemmeBlackery