“You can’t build a revolution with no education”: Deepening equity-mindedness in professional learning activities

Abstract

Institutes of higher education have adopted equity-minded frameworks as potential solutions to dismantle the permanence of racism within them. Yet, little empirical evidence documents the outcomes of these frameworks, which often include professional learning experiences for faculty and staff. Drawing on critical race discourse analyses of interview data from a 16-week professional learning seminar on race and racism in higher education, the authors of this study posit that equity-mindedness is a process where one becomes aware of oppressive structures of harm and one’s participation in, and reproduction of, these structures. This claim expands previous scholarship on the topic, which fails to articulate the importance of reflexive equity-mindedness. The authors conclude with a call for P-20 practitioners to focus on the contexts of interpersonal transformation as necessary to create more equitable and just educational settings for all students in addition to institutional policies and practices.