Institutional Racism and the Ethics of Inclusion: What Does Justice Require to Transform Institutions of Higher Education?

Abstract

AbstractThis article describes what “institutional racism” means within public institutions of higher education, arguing that transformative change is possible only if we link “justice” to the “diversity, equity and inclusion” framework that most Universities have adopted. The DEI framework replaced the earlier call for “affirmative action,” which required active efforts to secure inclusion. DEI offers a broad, and often purely symbolic commitment to “inclusion” as “belonging.” Appeals to “justice” are currently contested by those who are seeking to ban the instruction of “critical race theory” within institutions of higher education. The article argues for recognition of the rights and experiences of distinctive groups as well as the epistemic forms of injustice that have been experienced by specific groups, including Indigenous, Black, and Latinx peoples within institutions of higher education.KeywordsJusticeRacismInclusionHigher Education