Abstract
The primary aim of social work is eliminating social inequalities by advocating for racial, social, and economic justice for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. This commitment and promise starts in the classroom by providing opportunities for students and faculty to interact with each other and promote the core tenets of the profession. As the social work practices are shaped by the values promoted by the mainstream society, many argue that the profession is biased and does not meet the needs of Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC). This issue is explored in the present study by interviewing six Black female social work faculty, aiming to elucidate their experiences in academia and the social work educational environment when interacting with their White counterparts, their students, and the administration. The findings yielded by this investigation have implications for academia, as well as social work education programs and their leadership.
Highlights
The primary aim of social work is eliminating social inequalities by advocating for racial, social, and economic justice for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
As social workers make the transition from practitioners to faculty, the ideals of the profession often become skewed or disconnected as issues of race and ethnicity are exacerbated in the academic environment, where individuals are measured by the attributes dictated by the academic institution, such as academic pedigree, publications and impact factors, and the number of grant dollars they can secure
Six female social work faculty took part in this study, five of whom identified as African American and one identified as an immigrant belonging to the African diaspora
Summary
Social work is a profession that seeks to enhance human well-being and helps meet the basic needs of all individuals (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2017). While the field of social work has benefited from anti-blackness, violence, and institutional racism, academia still suffers from “apartheid” on knowledge, given that a large number of publications on people of color and by people of color are rejected by peer-reviewed journals (Bernal & Villalpando, 2002) This practice has led many authors to conclude that research on racerelated themes is not valued or considered good scholarship (Bernal & Villalpando, 2002; Holosko et al, 2017; Jayakumar et al, 2009). Given the complex nature of issues BIPOC face in all contexts, they should be viewed in relation to the intersections of their identities and experiences For this reason, this research focuses on Black female social work faculty and their interactions with their White counterparts. The ultimate aim is prompting social work educational institutions to enact significant changes in their policies, processes, and systems to eliminate any barriers based on race
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