The East Side Freedom Library and the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative invite you to this month’s FREC Shared Learning Community Circle, Based on Book “We’re Not Ok”: Black Faculty Experiences and Higher Education.

In Fall 2018, there were 1.5 million faculty in degree-granting post-secondary institutions with 53% full time and 47% part time (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020). 76% of full-time faculty were white, while only 6% were Black. While many institutions tout the idea of diversity recruitment, not much progress has been made to diversify faculty ranks (Hazelrigg, 2019). In fact, professors are more likely than their students to be White (Flaherty, 2019). These statistics display a disparity, resulting in the unique experiences of Black faculty left to work in spaces as either the only Black faculty member, or one in a limited population, which sometimes results in feeling like you don’t belong. 

In this hands-on workshop, the authors of “We’re Not OK: Black Faculty Experiences and Higher Education Strategies” will take a deep dive into the potential ramifications of these racial disparities on inclusion, retention, and mental health. Topics include tokenism, microaggressions, code switching, and imposter syndrome. Participants will dissect narratives from Black faculty, engage in group discussion, take part in reflective exercises, and explore practical strategies to promote mental wellness, foster inclusion, and retain Black faculty.

Click this link to join this event on Zoom on February 16th, 2023 at 4:30pm CT.