Chapter 22: Reflections of Black Leaders in Understanding Whiteness During a Period of Racial and Social Unrest

This chapter was inspired by the events that took place the spring of 2020 through the spring of 2021 which included the COVID-19 pandemic, the killing of George Floyd, the Woke college students’ reactions to racial and social unrest, a contentious national presidential election that resulted in a riot against democracy, the rise of cancelled culture, and oppositional stances on anti-racist teaching and critical race theory through the 1776 Commission’s Report and the backlash of the 1619 Project. These events affected our university through remote teaching, public rallies, Black Lives Matter stances and counter responses, cancelled culture investigations and the renaming of a building, enrollment decline, political posturing, budget inadequacies, and the resignation of the university’s first Black and gay chancellor. This was a period of constant bombardment as the coronavirus marched across the globe while at the same time critical race and social incidents erupted in moments of both tragedy and triumph. It was truly difficult trying to combat racism while at the same time experiencing it as we shepherded our institution through the pandemic.