As a Black woman who went to a PWI, I found this to be extremely true to the experience and think Davis did a phenomenal job curating the voices and experiences within. Systemic inequalities will never change unless they are individually thrust out of the darkness and those who suffer are allowed the freedom to speak their piece. This was that, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Although, to be honest, some of this was quite triggering at times.

Thank you to University of North Carolina Press and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

This was an insightful read for those that have walked the hallowed halls of such establishments. If you’re a parent that has a child considering applying to these types of schools, this is a book you should read with them to help make a well informed decision.

"Being Black in the Ivory: Truth-Telling about Racism in Higher Education," edited by Shardé M. Davis, is a groundbreaking and essential anthology that confronts the pervasive racism experienced by Black academics within the higher education system. Through a collection of candid essays, personal narratives, and scholarly reflections, Davis and contributing authors shed light on the systemic inequalities and injustices that plague academic institutions. The book tackles issues such as tokenism, microaggressions, exclusionary practices, and the emotional toll of navigating predominantly white spaces. With unwavering honesty and courage, the contributors amplify the voices of Black scholars and offer powerful insights into the complexities of racism within academia. "Being Black in the Ivory" is not only a call to action for systemic change but also a testament to the resilience and brilliance of Black academics who continue to thrive despite systemic barriers. This book is essential reading for educators, administrators, policymakers, and anyone committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive higher education landscape.

(No rating)

The truth is I'm not sure how to put my feelings about this book into words. I have written, deleted, then rewritten.

Interesting. Emotional. Troubling.

Thank you to NetGalley and University of North Carolina Press for permission to read this work before its publication date. "Being Black in the Ivory" collects the stories of various Black people in academia ("Blackademics"). The narratives include experiences of African-Americans, Afro-Latinos, immigrants, and genderfluid, trans and non-binary students and faculty members. It was extremely relatable and made me wish this work existed as I was navigating graduate school, the early years of my career, and my years as an adjunct lecturer. This would be a valuable read for students of color AND white people in academia. Reading about each other's experiences and perspectives is so important!

If you followed #Blackintheivory on Twitter, then the sentiments in this book will be familiar. If you haven't followed the hashtag, then the material may still be familiar to BIPOC individuals. This is a book worthreading.

Powerful, insightful and informative. I really appreciated reading from diverse perspectives on what it is like being Black in academia. As an Asian Canadian, it opened my eyes to different lived experiences and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in voices in academia that are usually not heard.

Thank you to NG and the Publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

(This Digital ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

This book is a riveting, frustrating, highly emotional read. A collection of vignettes and essays from black academics (colloquially referred to as Blackademics), the stories told focus on their experiences in academia ranging from the undergraduate level, to actually working and teaching in academia. The final section of the book focuses on alternatives to academia, and discusses how Blackademics can leave the field altogether & what paths they can take instead.

As a black woman myself, I had to break up my reading experience of the book because reading too much would leave me in an enraged state for the rest of the day. There is a certain level of pain that comes from reading account after account of black people essentially being denied their intelligence and humanity. The sad truth that many people will simply never give you a fair shot based on immutable details of yourself is engrained into your head after reading these essays.

I liked how after every section in the book, there was a bookend with a list of advice from all the contributing authors, all advising other Blackademics on how they should deal with the issues they had faced. Many times when I have personally been given advice about academia or the corporate world, the unspoken underlying message is that the advice is not geared for white people. Having advice written specifically for Blackademics by Blackademics was great.

Finally, it was sobering how many of the essayists shared their own experiences both prior to and after the BLM movement of 2020. Things that they could have previously hand waved or pushed aside were no longer tolerable. While it was nice to see that some universities supported their black students. it was saddening how many mouthed platitudes in public while doing nothing in private.

5/5. I very much recommend this to anyone who is curious about the Black experience in academia. To other black people, I would recommend you read this book in seperate chunks, as it is a highly emotional read.

Description
When Shardé M. Davis turned to social media during the summer of racial reckoning in 2020, she meant only to share how racism against Black people affects her personally. But her hashtag, #BlackintheIvory, went viral, fostering a flood of Black scholars sharing similar stories. Soon the posts were being quoted during summer institutes and workshops on social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. And in fall 2020, faculty assigned the tweets as material for course curriculum.

This curated collection of original personal narratives from Black scholars across the country seeks to continue the conversation that started with #BlackintheIvory. Put together, the stories reveal how racism eats its way through higher education, how academia systemically ejects Black scholars in overt and covert ways, and how academic institutions—and their individual members—might make lasting change. While anti-Black racism in academia is a behemoth with many entry points to the conversation, this book marshals a diverse group of Black voices to bring to light what for too long has been hidden in the shadow of the ivory tower.

My Take:
If you followed the #BlackintheIvory hashtag, you might be familiar with some of the stories and voices, but don't let that deter you from reading. What struck me most in the reading was that how familiar these stories are to me: either I experienced it myself, my friends did, or I witnessed it. Seeing our experiences in print offers a different "withness" for scholars. It reminds me that we "overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony."

This review was made possible via an ARC through NetGalley.

Black in the Ivory is a carefully curated collection of counterstories by Shardé M. Davis to detail the racism experienced by Blackademics in the American higher education system through personal vignettes and, after each section, ‘What I wish someone had told me’ where the contributors are invited to share what they wish had been told to them before and what they want to share with past, current, and in-coming Black academics.

The forward firmly stitches together the summer of 2020 to the essay collection to the current conversations around racism on university campuses because the higher education circuit has ignored their own ties to historical racism and the slave trade for centuries. It’s not uncommon for some to want to isolate the realities of racism from their historical context, but it’s impossible to do so in the US academic context.

The introduction makes it clear that this collection exists to validate and uplift Black voices in higher education, whether they be graduate students, educators, undergrads, Afro-Latine, Trans, feminine and more and draw attention to the racism, implicit and explicit, microaggressions and sabotage, that exists within the ivory tower.

Each counterstory creates a space for the writer to state in their own words and personal style, including poetry and lists, to express their pain, anger, and frustration with the academy as an institution and as a structure within white supremacy that does little to uplift them and instead continues to pull Black academics down until they exit the academy or are silent. It openly discusses how intersectionality (disability, Queerness, transness, being Afro-Latine, being a woman) impacts these experiences and how white students and colleagues and sometimes Black and Brown colleagues will passively and actively harm them.

Included in the epilogue is a group of affirmations for Blackademics, recognition of the courage exhibited by the contributors for speaking up, and a word to allies and accomplices and what they can do moving forward. As stated several times in the collection, there is risk with calling out anti-Black racism that could result in career derailment, isolation, distrust from colleagues, and perhaps even the end of a career in academia, but racism on campus cannot continue.

I would recommend this to those who would feel seen or relate to the counterstories in the pages and to those who are still on their journey to becoming accomplices in ending anti-Black racism.