Chapter 4: Transcending “Other” by Building Bridges in Pursuit of Social Justice: Experience of a Caribbean Female Faculty in the Academy

This self-study draws on an auto-ethnographical approach (Anderson, 2006; Ellis & Bochner, 2000) that chronicled my experiences as a Haitianborn, naturalized American citizen on what it means to be a Black female and a foreigner in and outside the academy. Additionally, the findings also provide insights into my orientation toward and advocacy of social justice to build bridges for a better society. I examined three critical encounters in my life: (a) early experiences of marginalization (i.e., foreigner status), (b) formation of an orientation toward social justice, and (c) engaging in social justice work in the academy. A common thread that is interwoven within my story is an Afro-centric communal philosophy, “I am because we are” (Press, 2011), about building bridges while creating spaces to celebrate and embrace differences.