Performing Anti-racism: Universities Respond to Anti-Black Violence

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEI) are communities nestled within and a part of the local, regional, and national contexts. Increasingly, college and university presidents have begun to comment on local and national events, particularly as these events make their way onto campuses. This study examines 99 presidential statements from both public and private institutions, disseminated in the week following the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Using critical race discourse analysis (CRDA), the findings consider how institutional discourse constructs a history of advancing racial equity, leverages institutional mission and values, includes institutional and personal calls to action, and the intersecting use and exclusion of explicitly racialized discourse. Despite institutions discussing race and racism, they frequently construct these topics and their attendant needs as external to the institutions. These findings expand the exploration into institutional discourse in response to racialized incidents on campus and beyond. How institutions use these opportunities to move beyond performative rhetoric towards action and institutional change represents a significant opportunity to transform colleges and universities in ways that support racially minoritized communities both on and off-campus.