Do you find that none of your work ever feels good enough to submit? Or are you hyper-focused on putting out as much work as possible at the expense of quality and even your own well-being? These are symptoms of white supremacy as it shows up in academia.
Overvaluing productivity through perfectionism, a sense of urgency, and a quantity-over-quality mindset make it difficult to foster inclusive, thoughtful, and democratic academic environments.
Perfectionism means that mistakes are often attributed to personal inadequacy rather than opportunities for improvement, leading to a lack of reflection and learning.
A persistent sense of urgency often leads to a lack of inclusivity and democratic decision-making, which can result in sacrificing potential allies, including communities of color, in favor of quick, visible results prioritizing white people as the default community.
In many academic institutions, measurable goals (quantity) take priority over intangible ones (quality), resulting in resources being directed toward achieving them, even when they conflict with the process and the need for individuals to be heard and engaged.
While these institutional problems won’t be solved overnight, the strategies listed in this post can help us to combat their impact.
Check the link in bio for more information on White Supremacy Culture and its antidotes (Okun, 1999).