Southern, D. E. (2024). Whiteness and racialized emotions in leaders’ planning and implementing equity in graduate education organizations. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
Abstract
Designing racial diversity and equity initiatives is increasingly prevalent in higher education organizations, often in response to social demands for racial justice, yet many leaders are often underprepared to lead their program or school toward change that centers racial justice in policy, practices, and culture. Moreover, the prevalence of whiteness and racialized emotions challenge leaders as they attempt to carry out change. In this critical comparative case study of one graduate school and six graduate programs across three historically white-serving public institutions, I examine how whiteness via racialized emotions emerged in leaders’ diversity and equity planning and implementation. I consider ramifications for racially just organizational transformation in higher education and suggest leaders decenter white-racialized emotions prevalent throughout the equity planning and implementation process.
Citation: Southern, D. E. (2024). Whiteness and racialized emotions in leaders’ planning and implementing equity in graduate education organizations. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000547