"Dismantling the Machine:" A Case Study of Cross-campus, Multi-institutional Efforts to Address Systemic Racism

Abstract

Dismantling the machinery of systemic racism in educational spaces is necessarily done in community, and the possibility of change depends on understanding the pernicious mechanisms at work and implementing new ways of teaching that are more inclusive and transformational. The inequities illuminated by the global pandemic of 2020, combined with an intensified spotlight on the nation’s long-standing racial injustices, have been a clarion call for higher education, particularly regarding social justice in academia. With heightened levels of civic action around racial injustices that impact students, an all-hands-on-deck scenario emerged, compelling all university units—including libraries—to collaborate on addressing systemic racism in the learning environment. This chapter highlights one academic library’s cross-campus collaborations to facilitate racial justice discussions and actions. Focusing on a common reads program at University of Miami (UM) in Florida, this case study outlines key library and campus partnerships and steps taken to promote dialogue and spearhead anti-racist and critical pedagogy awareness for instructors of record.