Just because it don't look heavy, don't mean it ain't: An intersectional analysis of Black women's labor as faculty during COVID

Abstract

The purpose of our scholarly personal narrative was to examine how COVID-19 and an increased awareness of anti-Blackness in the United States have exacerbated our labor as Black women faculty, with particular focus on teaching and service responsibilities. Dill and Zambrana's (2009) four theoretical interventions of intersectionality guided our study, and we situated our composite narratives within structural, disciplinary, hegemonic, and interpersonal power domains. Our four composite narratives included (1) Interest convergence, there is no real true investment in change; (2) Institutional intent versus impact, I don't know how it will be incorporated; (3) Perpetuation of Black women's labor, just because it don't look heavy, don't mean it ain't; and (4) Reclaiming my time, and it's not because I don't like them, but it's because I love me. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.

Longitudinal associations between COVID-19 stress and mental health symptoms among university faculty and staff in Canada.

“…First, while broadly representative of the faculty and staff demographics at Queen’s University, the sample was limited in ethnic and gender diversity relative to the wider Canadian workforce. Therefore, further research in a more diverse academic workplace sample is needed to examine how relations between mental health and COVID-19 stress are moderated by intersecting identities, such as gender, sexuality, and race or ethnicity (e.g., Blell et al, 2023; Porter et al, 2023). Second, the present study included only two time points; thus, more extensive longitudinal work is required to examine trajectories and mediators of change over time.…”

Black women faculty navigating a pandemic amid an epidemic

“…Similarly, Porter et al. (2023) articulated, “most importantly, we love(d) ourselves by advocating for and protecting our needs and energies amid dual pandemics” (p. 11). Ebony enacted self‐valuation of her body and health, which served as a form of resistance, and shared the lessons she learned through this process with others to support their liberation (Collins, 2000).…”

“…Because Black women feel an obligation to uplift others, we may not readily consider the emotional toll it takes on ourselves. This is also another example of how Black women are positioned as mammies and exploited for their labor (Collins, 2000), often doing the work that other faculty are unwilling to do (Porter et al., 2023), and becoming “sacrificial surrogate[s]” that deprioritize self‐care and academic productivity while putting the institution's (and students’) needs above our own (Hills, 2019, p. 7).…”

“…This awareness anchored her steadfastness to continue to implement the COVID-19 lessons of radical self-care and love of self as a liberatory practice from white supremacy, exploitive academic labor, and a sole reliance on western medicine. Similarly, Porter et al (2023) articulated, "most importantly, we love(d) ourselves by advocating for and protecting our needs and energies amid dual pandemics" (p. 11). Ebony enacted self-valuation of her body and health, which served as a form of resistance, and shared the lessons she learned through this process with others to support their liberation (Collins, 2000).…”

“…Coping with isolation, attending to family responsibilities, caring for students, and navigating the academy posed particularly nuanced experiences for Black women faculty and administrators. The unique and intersectional struggles of Black women in the academy at every level have been studied for the last 40 years (Benjamin, 1997; Bertrand et al., 2012; Collins, 2000; Henry et al., 2011; Howard‐Hamilton, 2003; Moses, 1989; Mosley, 1980; Patton & Croom, 2017; Porter et al., 2023). Mosley's (1980) work revealed that despite having Black women administrators in leadership positions, they were for the most part invisible beings.…”