White Guys in Trucks: Symbols of Violence and Weapons of Racial Injustice

Authors

  • Brandon M. Higgins University of Arkansas
  • Dr. Valandra University of Arkansas

Keywords:

racism, predominately white campus life, fraternities, race-based incident stress, law enforcement, social justice advocacy, faculty and student support

Abstract

Predominately white colleges and universities situated in small white college towns can present Black faculty and students with a complex array of challenges and opportunities. This paper recounts the actions taken by a young Black male student and middle-aged Black female faculty in response to a racist incident the student experienced. The student and faculty experiences of the incident, and their subsequent individual and collective responses, and efforts to seek justice demonstrate the ways in which they navigate the intersections of race, gender, age, and position within the academy and its surrounding community. Their reflections coincide, overlap, and diverge at various times through the roles they play in this process of change.

Author Biographies

Brandon M. Higgins, University of Arkansas

School of Social Work

MSW Graduate Student

Dr. Valandra, University of Arkansas

School of Social Work and African & African American Studies

Assistant Professor

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Published

2016-06-10

How to Cite

Higgins, B. M., & Valandra, D. (2016). White Guys in Trucks: Symbols of Violence and Weapons of Racial Injustice. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 21(3), 19–25. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/1358