From Black Male Achievement to Black Women Empowerment: How Black Men Can Support Black Women in Higher Education

This is the transcript for my keynote speech for the Sankofa Speakers Series for the 2024 Centering Black Children in Education Conference.

My earliest lessons in strength and resilience came from a bustling kitchen filled with children's laughter and the comforting aroma of homemade food. But, contrary to Senator Katie Britt's cold and sterile kitchen, tainted with fear mongering and blame, our kitchen was a nurturing hub, equipped with two full refrigerators ready to feed over 60 Black children from various economic backgrounds.

This kitchen served as the heart of ISED (the Institute for Social and Educational Development), the home daycare founded by my mother, Johnita Scott. As a strong, independent Black woman, through her daycare center, she sought to instill in me, her only son, a profound sense of pride in my heritage and a strong community spirit.

Although, I grew up in a household headed by a single Black woman, my upbringing was not diminished. My mom, an exceptional woman, rather than harboring any resentment towards men because of a deeply problematic first marriage, she cultivated my connection with positive men, including my biological father and her boyfriends. Her suiters, who willingly stepped into the role of mentors, became instrumental forces in shaping the person I am today.

There was Roderick, whose home in the Bahamas marked my first international journey. I bonded with his three children, immersing myself in Bahamian culture. Isaac Burrell, who instilled in me the ethos of hard work during the two summers I spent roofing for his company. And then, there was Dr. Imari Obadele, a brilliant revolutionary who later became my stepfather. It was under his mentorship that I authored my debut book, "Black Sheep: When the American Dream becomes a Black Man's Nightmare," discovering my voice early in my career. It's a testament to her wisdom that every relationship she nurtured contributed to a well-rounded upbringing for me.

My mother ingrained in me a profound admiration for strong Black women and the strong Black men who empower and elevate them. It wasn't about dependence or independence; it was about interdependence and mutual support. Being raised alongside my older sisters, one with a debilitating disease that claimed her life my freshman year of college, further enriched my comprehension of and compassion for Black girls and women, molding the person I was to become.

So, you see, my journey to advocating for Black men and boys started much earlier than my official academic career. It began in that kitchen, surrounded by strong women, supportive men, and a love of community that taught me the true meaning of Black liberation.

The Intersection of Race and Gender: Understanding the Dual Struggles

In my professional journey as an educational researcher, I initially focused on the systemic barriers facing Black boys and men. It didn't take long for me to confront the harsh realities – from unjust suspensions, arrest and incarceration to negative stereotypes. Moreover, I observed the misguided blame placed on Black women, unfairly painting them as the root of Black boys' challenges. Society has weaponized harmful tropes like "single mother," "welfare queen" and "angry Black woman," fueling a destructive gender war within our community. This diverts attention from the real issue at hand: systemic racism.

To challenge these misconceptions, I published "No BS (Bad Stats)," to dispel harmful myths and stereotypes, illuminate genuine issues, and encourage a well-informed, compassionate grasp of the Black experience. In one chapter, I delve into the problematic misconception that single Black mothers pose a problem to Black male achievement.

However, this year, the fight for Black liberation hit closer to home in ways I never expected. While my own work has focused on Black male achievement, two high-profile cases forced me to confront a chilling truth: Until Black women are safe and truly free in higher education, none of us are.

First, there was the case of Claudine Gay, the brilliant historian who achieved the pinnacle of academia when she became the first Black president of Harvard University. I watched in horror as she was relentlessly attacked by a billionaire, harassed on the national stage in Congress, and left shamefully exposed by her own institution. Her treatment, as I laid out in a recent article for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, reflects a weaponization of identity politics against a powerful Black woman.

The echoes of this injustice are also deafeningly clear in the tragic case of Vice President Antoinette Candia-Bailey, a Black woman leader at Lincoln University in Missouri who lost her life amidst allegations of workplace hostility. These cases aren't isolated incidents. They illuminate the deep-rooted systems of oppression that hold Black women back, hindering advancement not only for them, but for us all.

This isn't just about women achieving lofty leadership positions. It's about Black women scholars being silenced in classrooms, Black women researchers denied funding, Black women staff members overlooked and undermined. The fight for Black male achievement is inextricably bound to their fight.

Learning from the Past: The Combahee River Collective's Insights

The profound wisdom of the Combahee River Collective Statement (1977) transformed my understanding of our path toward true liberation. This seminal text in Black feminism, authored by the Boston-based Combahee River Collective (1974-1980), forcefully confronts the complexities of the interlocking oppressions Black women face. They argued that combating racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppression demands an integrated approach – these systems inextricably shape Black women's lives.

The Collective's analysis also traces the evolution of contemporary Black feminism, exploring its unique political stance, the challenges of organizing Black feminists, and outlining actionable strategies for Black feminist activism. Their bold statement is considered a cornerstone of "identity politics," and deeply influenced the concept of intersectionality, which acknowledges how social identities like race, gender, sexuality, and class combine to produce unique experiences of discrimination and privilege.

Crucially, the Combahee River Collective calls on all of us, particularly Black men, to challenge the harmful forces of sexism that exist even within our own struggles for racial justice. Their words are a call to action that I, and other Black men, must actively answer.

Furthermore, the Collective taught us that Black women are not a monolith. To truly support Black women in academia, Black men must reject the narrow definitions of "women's rights" frequently shaped by white feminist perspectives. We must embrace a truly liberated feminism that celebrates the multifaceted identities of Black women. This means adhering to the guiding principle championed by the disability community: "nothing for us without us." Black men in academia must prioritize consulting with Black women academics, respect their diverse lived experiences, and actively support them in ways that align with their own expressed needs.

Translating Theory into Action: Principles of Allyship from bell hooks

The enduring work of bell hooks has given us a blueprint for this type of supportive allyship. In her seminal work, all about love, she lays out the essential ingredients for genuine, effective love: care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, trust, and open communication. Let's translate these principles into our interactions with Black women in academia.

• Care:?Deep, genuine concern for the challenges Black women academics encounter in the workplace.

• Affection:?Active devotion to and attentiveness to their needs and goals.

• Recognition:?Acknowledging and valuing their unique identities and the systemic barriers they face.

• Commitment:?Unswerving dedication to serving as allies in the ways?they?define, not as dictated by our own assumptions.

• Trust:?Building unshakable bonds where sensitive information and lived experiences can be shared without fear of judgment or exploitation.

• Honest and open communication:?A mutually respectful exchange of ideas, where moments of disagreement can serve as opportunities for learning and growth.

When we embody these values, we create the bedrock for respect. And, as hooks astutely observed, a workplace founded on a love ethic presupposes that "everyone has the right to be free." Black women academics deserve the freedom to pursue their research, serve their communities, and impart their knowledge without oppression holding them back.

Tackling Systemic Oppression: A Multi-Faceted Approach

To create this world, we must actively and collectively dismantle the oppressive systems that target Black women:

• Sexual politics:?Eradicating the harassment and silencing that seek to erase Black women's voices.

• Patriarchal limitations:?Rejecting the notion that Black women's liberation is contingent on others.

• Intersectionality erasure:?Recognizing that race, class, and gender oppression are interlocking systems that Black women experience in unique ways.

• Centuries-old stereotypes:?Defying the dehumanizing images, from the "Jezebel" to the "Angry Black Woman," that seek to undermine their intellectual contributions.

In Memory of Fighters: The Legacy of President Claudine Gay and VP Antoinette Candia-Bailey

Claudine Gay and Antoinette Candia-Bailey aren't mere names in headlines. They are testaments to courage, intellect, and the ongoing battle for Black women's right to simply exist and thrive within the ivory tower. Their stories aren't isolated incidents of injustice; they expose a systemic pattern of hostility, a venomous refusal to cede power to those society deems unworthy. Their struggle echoes the sacrifice of countless Black women leaders before them. To deny this pattern is to deny them, their legacies, and our own chance at true liberation.

bell hooks' words ring with stark truth: "love equals justice." If we are to honor these leaders and martyrs, if we truly believe in justice, then love in its truest form must be at the core of our fight. A love that demands action and revolution, a love fiercely inspired by the words of Toni Cade Bambara: "Make revolution irresistible."

This revolution starts within us. It demands that we interrogate our own biases, our complacency, and actively dismantle the systems that perpetuate oppression. It means more than performative support – it requires us to be the shield President Claudine Gay never had; and to relentlessly pursue the accommodations that Vice President Antoinette Candia-Bailey desperately needed.

The Path Forward: Undertaking Our Collective Responsibility

Our path forward is arduous but clear, illuminated by a burning love for true equity. Black faculty currently make up about 6.5% of tenure-track positions nationally, a meager number that shrinks further as we climb the academic ladder. Black women, the brilliant minds who deserve a rightful place at the forefront of scholarship, constitute less than 2% of full professors. These statistics are a clarion call to action.

We must uplift the voices of Black women academics, champion their research, celebrate their successes, and fight for their right to lead without enduring the unjust attacks and isolation that have become par for the course.

Let their names fuel our determination. Let their battles remind us that progress without the full liberation of Black women is no progress at all. Let us understand that until Black scholars and Black scholarship are free, academic freedom is merely a fanciful oxymoron.

And let us honor the legacy of Claudine Gay and Antoinette Candia-Bailey by committing ourselves to a future where Black women academics are not simply free, but revered as the intellectual powerhouses they truly are. In their memory, we must make the academy a place where Black brilliance flourishes, not withers under the weight of oppression.