Marginalized Faculty at Marginalized Institutions: Counternarratives as Resistance in the Experiences of Black Librarians at Public, Two-Year Colleges
A Session by Dr. Evangela Q. Oates (Adjunct Librarian, Westchester Community College)
About this Session
Libraries purport to be neutral organizations in practice and philosophy; however, critical research has found that libraries are often rife with racial animus, toxicity, and whiteness. This study investigated the experiences of Black librarians at public, two-year institutions in the U.S in order to have a better understanding of how they navigate, cope, and succeed amongst the challenges of academic librarianship. Across and within their stories, four themes were found: retaliation, derailment, gendered racism, and epistemic violence. As academic libraries look to retain Librarians of Color, it is important for them to pinpoint and dismantle the practices that reinforce white supremacy, and those that injure, traumatize, and hold Black librarians in contempt. Implications for practice and research are provided as well as areas for future research.