Necessity is the mother of invention: Virtual campus conversations on antiracism during the pandemic and beyond

Abstract

Drawing on theories of antiracist pedagogy, pandemic pedagogy, and racial identity development, this article demonstrates the benefits of campus-wide virtual conversations, arguing that they provide students in particular with salient opportunities to synthesize antiracist theory and praxis while further developing their racial identities. Using data from two such campus conversations, “Antiracism, Intersectionality, and Empowerment” and “Racial Trauma and White Fragility,” we offer a series of effective strategies, lessons learned, and preliminary antiracist outcomes. We suggest that campus-wide virtual forums on antiracism assist in building the interracial, intergenerational, and interdisciplinary coalitions necessary to begin to institutionalize antiracist praxis in a predominantly white university setting.