When they see us: Black queer narratives from the academy

Morrow, Leslie K

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/114067 Copy

Description

Title

When they see us: Black queer narratives from the academy

Author(s)

Morrow, Leslie K

Issue Date

2021-11-19

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Somerville, Siobhan B

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Brown, Ruth N

Committee Member(s)

• Cacho, Lisa M
• Dixson, Adrienne D

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educational Policy Studies

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

Black Feminisms, Critical Race Theory, Queer of Color Critique, Critical Educational Studies, Anti-Black racism, Gender Studies, Sexuality and Gender, Affect, Neoliberalism and Diversity, Higher Education and Social Justice

Abstract

How does the language of liberal diversity serve to reinforce normalizing discourses that adhere to fixed categories of identity and how we think about diversity? Who gets counted, who gets to speak for and on behalf of “diversity,” and whose experiences matter within the context of the neoliberal university? What happens when bodies defy expectations, challenging established gender norms and roles that interrogate ongoing and perpetual neoliberal logics? My project answers the questions above in my exploration into the lives and lived experiences of Black queer folk. An opportunity to hear their stories in their own words to gain a better insight into how they make sense of themselves within the current socio-political climate. My research seeks to examine educational practices within and beyond the “literal” classroom through the discourse of diversity that purports to welcome difference. And yet, while the physical aesthetic of campus environments appears diverse, understanding the myriad and complicated ways in which Black queer folks are disproportionately impacted by diversity discourse is hidden. This work has profound implications for education, cutting across various political, cultural, and social movements.

Graduation Semester

2021-12

Type of Resource

Thesis

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/114067

Copyright and License Information

© 2021 Leslie K. Morrow

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