Critical Race Theory (CRT) evolved as a response to the lack of change
in racial disparities within the United States jurisprudence. This article
provides a historical understanding of CRT, beginning with a synopsis
of the tenets that form part of CRT. The article will then give an
understanding of what leadership style supports the implementation of
CRT. Finally, it will provide the reader with strategies to apply CRT
in the work environment through self-work, intercultural competence
and restorative practices

Hiraldo, Payne

English

UVM ScholarWorks

The Vermont ConnectionVolume 40 (Re)Building, Resistance, and Resilience inHigher Education Article 192019Future Scenario: Praxis in Critical Race Theory inHigher Education and Student AffairsPayne HiraldoUniversity of Vermont, Payne.Hiraldo@uvm.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/tvcPart of the Higher Education CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Education and Social Services at ScholarWorks @ UVM. It has been acceptedfor inclusion in The Vermont Connection by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks @ UVM. For more information, please contactdonna.omalley@uvm.edu.Recommended CitationHiraldo, Payne (2019) "Future Scenario: Praxis in Critical Race Theory in Higher Education and Student Affairs," The VermontConnection: Vol. 40 , Article 19.Available at: https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/tvc/vol40/iss1/19• 141Future Scenario: Praxis in Critical Race Theoryin Higher Education and Student AffairsPayne Hiraldo The structure of  higher education in the United States (U.S.) reinforces the domi-nance of  Whiteness and reproduces a society that is inherently inequitable. His-torically, indoctrination into society revolved around going to college. As a first generation, Black Latina college student, my journey in higher education was not easy because I was not academically prepared to become part of  the college classroom. I struggled to navigate the social and academic environments of  my college campus. My experience navigating higher education as an undergraduate student led me to become part of  the system in hopes of  changing it and making it better for others who are trying to achieve their dreams. As a change agent, it is important for me to create a higher education experience that is more equitable. However, as administrator and doctoral student it sometimes feels like I am being conditioned to operate in a broken system which consistently works to reproduce inequality. No matter how much higher education aims to be inclusive and members of  the institution aim to break down and do away with White supremacist ways of  operating and being, the structure itself  is inherently exclusive. Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun (2001) did a great deal of  work concerning White supremacy culture; their work revolved around how organizations, regardless of  who is lead-ing them, can perpetuate a culture of  White supremacy specifically with regard to which characteristics and ways of  leading are valued within the organization. Critical Race Theory (CRT) evolved as a response to the lack of  change in racial disparities within the United States jurisprudence. This article provides a historical understanding of  CRT, beginning with a synopsis of  the tenets that form part of  CRT. The article will then give an understanding of  what leadership style supports the implementation of  CRT. Finally, it will provide the reader with strategies to apply CRT in the work environment through self-work, intercultural competence and restorative practices. Payne Hiraldo is an Assistant Director for Residential Education in the Department of  Residential Life at the University of  Vermont (UVM). She is currently a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program at UVM. She is excited to further explore the use Critical Race Theory in conjunction with Intercultural Competence and Restorative Practices.Hiraldo142 • The Vermont Connection • 2019 • Volume 40To dismantle systems of  oppression, everyone must invest in the process of  working towards social justice. This unity is difficult to achieve because those who identify with dominant identities (ex. White, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied, or male) do not see themselves having a role in social justice or are para-lyzed by shame when engaging in difficult conversations. Critical Race TheoryScholars developed Critical Race Theory (CRT) in an effort to provide a voice for folks from marginalized identities through a framework to analyze Whiteness in the context of  the U.S. CRT emerged from the Critical Legal Studies (CLS) movement in response to the role race and racism plays in U.S. jurisprudence (Delgado, 1995; Ladson-Billing, 1998; Decuir & Dixson, 2004). The purpose of  CRT is to examine the role of  race, racism, and privilege in upholding the domi-nant narrative of  exclusion in the U.S. The U.S.was founded under the premise of  inequality, specifically when it came to engaging with others who did not fit the dominant White paradigm. The genocide of  Native peoples in this country is one example of  how the U.S.was founded under the notion that folks who are non-White are considered inferior. A second example is how European settlers enslaved Africans and brought them to the U.S.against their will. African Americans were enslaved in the U.S.for 300 years, during which time they were seen as three-fifths of  a man and treated as property. The U.S.was built by the blood, sweat, and tears of  African Americans, Mexicans, and Native Americans. CRT operates with the underlying premise that the U.S. was founded on and operates within a system that is designed to serve White, heterosexual men. Therefore, the systems in the U.S., including higher education, are inherently racist, sexist, and ableist. Critical Race Theory TenetsWhen CRT was first developed, it consisted of  the following five tenets: counter-storytelling, the permanence of  racism, Whiteness as property, interest conver-gence, and the critique of  liberalism (DeCuir & Dixson, 2004; Ladson Billings, 1998; McCoy, 2006).  However, some CRT scholars would argue that there are seven tenets. The two additional tenets added to CRT include intersectionality and commitment to social justice (McCoy & Rodricks, 2015). In this section, I overview the key tenets of  CRT. Counterstories provide a voice to stories that do not fit the dominant paradigm. This tenet provides folks of  color and other marginalized identities opportuni-ties for their truths to be heard and validated, thereby exposing and critiquing the dominant narrative. The second tenet of  CRT, the permanence of  racism, argues • 143that racism is an inherent part of  U.S. society and therefore controls the political, educational, and economic systems. The permanence of  racism acknowledges both White privilege and systemic racism as natural experiences in the U.S. The third tenet of  CRT is Whiteness as property, which acknowledges that White folks are the only ones who can benefit from Whiteness and are the only ones who can possess it. This tenet supports the presence and dominance of  a system of  White supremacy. Interest convergence, the fourth tenet, “is grounded on the premise that People of  Color’s interest in achieving racial equality advances only when those interests ‘converge’ with the interests of  those in power” (McCoy & Rodricks, 2015, p.9). The fifth tenet of  CRT is the critique of  liberalism, which acknowledges the harm of  the phrase “we are all created equal,” and contends that when it comes to legislation or policies, there is no such thing as neutrality in American society. The sixth tenet, commitment to social justice, affirms the im-portance of  creating a society that supports the process and goal of  equity. This tenant acknowledges that social justice is always evolving and that people never reach a tangible finish line because society is always changing. In the context of  CRT, social justice aims to eradicate racism and other forms of  subordination that intersect with race, such as gender, class, sexual orientation, language, re-ligion, and national origin (Solorzano & Yosso, 2002; McCoy & Rodrick 2015). The last tenet, intersectionality, addresses how social identities intersect to create a particular social experience. The U.S.operates along binaries (McCoy & Rodrick, 2015). Therefore, anything that does not fit the established binary is excluded from the dominant narrative. CRTplaces race/racism at its center, and provides a way for folks to understand how other identities like gender, sexuality, class, and ability intersect with race (Crenshaw, 1991; McCoy & Rodricks, 2015). It is important to keep in mind that when using CRT as a method of  analysis, various tenets may fit the criteria. This is important because CRT provides an opportunity for situations to be analyzed from different angles while still unearthing the primary issue - racism.Critical Student Affairs Servant Pedagogy: A Support for the Use of  CRTMcCoy and Rodricks (2015) provided student affairs professionals with specific action steps to use CRT. The authors called for the use of  critical pedagogy and servant leadership as a way to build upon CRT. They highlighted the importance of  self-awareness, particularly related to the ways that student affairs profession-als contribute to systems of  oppression. McCoy and Rodricks’ call to action requires individuals to question how they uphold the dominant narrative and reinforce systems of  oppression. These ques-tions serve as a form of  accountability and require honest reflection. Beyond individual self-reflection, work environments, teams, and departments must also Hiraldo144 • The Vermont Connection • 2019 • Volume 40commit to examining and addressing how they perpetuate White dominance. Employing a servant leadership pedagogy supports the use of  CRT to dismantle White dominance in higher education. Servant leadership is about putting others first and serving their needs before attempting to lead them (Greenleaf, 1970), while centering the responsibility of  making the world a better place. Based on the work of  John Dugan (2017), ser-vant leadership characteristics embody the tenets of  CRT. The desire of  servant leaders to serve others based on altruistic and intrinsic motivations corresponds to CRT’s mission to give voice to the experiences of  others with marginalized identities. Servant leadership requires emotional intelligence and a strong moral compass which are crucial for counterstorytelling to be most impactful. The commitment to social justice requires a commitment to helping others and advo-cating for the marginalized to have an equitable life by acknowledging that racism is at the epicenter of  American society. Servant leadership serves as a framework to dismantle systems of  oppression. Although servant leadership supports the use of  CRT, it is important to acknowledge the process through which this lead-ership style was developed. Servant leadership as it was developed by Greenleaf  (1970) supports the notions of  “great man theory” and reinforces paternalis-tic behaviors and gender norms. Therefore, being critical of  these theories is imperative because there is not one that serves as the best. All theories have strengths and weaknesses; they were each created under a particular assumption made about society. Understanding this, the process of  infusing critical social theory is helpful in the reconstruction of  leadership theories (Dugan, 2017).In order to meet the cultural needs of  an ever-changing society, the deconstruc-tion and reconstruction of  leadership theories is necessary. I would like to further explore this topic during my doctoral journey. The following section of  this ar-ticle outlines my future scenario wherein I introduce the concepts of  intercultural competence, social justice, and restorative practices as ways for social change to take place. McCoy and Rodricks (2014) address the praxis of  CRT through self-work. However, the use of  intercultural competence and restorative practices can help further teams’, departments’, and institutions’ work to dismantle op-pression. Proposed Future ScenarioWhen I first arrived at the University of  Vermont in 2008 as a graduate student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (HESA) Master’s program, I had limited knowledge about social justice. During my time in HESA, I saw that many folks had a difficult time relaying their understanding of  social justice. This was particularly true of  some White colleagues who could not un-derstand that they had benefits based on their identity regardless of  how difficult • 145their life experience might have been. The university’s approach to social justice has shifted significantly over the last seven years, particularly within my role in the Department of  Residential Life. The Department of  Residential Life uses social justice, intercultural competence and restorative practices as frameworks for students and staff  to engage with and negotiate difference. Intercultural competence is one’s ability to communicate and connect with in-dividuals who have different social, cultural, racial and language experiences. A person with a strong intercultural foundation has a strong sense of  their cultural values and beliefs and is also able to adapt to other cultural values and beliefs without assigning a value to the beliefs or practices of  the other.  This concept is key when aiming to connect with another person, organization, institution, or a team at a deeper level. When different cultural values clash with one another, communication often ceases when it is actually needed the most. Attaining cul-tural competence does not mean that “everything is going to be okay,” because that is not always possible. However, there is a higher chance of  folks connecting and investing in relationships when they engage in a way that makes the other person feel seen. Moreso, the use of  restorative practices as a way of  engaging and leading can help build a strong foundation so that the hard work can happen. Restorative Practices provide a wraparound process of  getting folks to build re-lationships, make connections, and repair harm within relationships. One of  the leading concepts of  restorative practices is the social discipline window. The so-cial discipline window acknowledges that “people (students, teachers, and staff) are happier and more likely to make positive changes when those in authority (teachers, staff  and administrators) do things with them, rather than to them or for them” (Costello, Wachtel, & Wachtel, 2010, pg. 8). The social discipline window is important because it refers to how folks lead. For example, when deci-sions need to be made about work processes that impact my day to day work, I have noticed that, regardless of  whether or not I agree with the decision, I always feel good about the decision because I was involved in the process. The concept of  circles provides an opportunity for folks to build relationships. Making circles part of  meetings can impact how people are seen and how they engage with the team. Making people feel seen also comes into play in the concept of  fair process, which focuses on decision making.  However, I would argue the most important and crucial piece in restorative practices is engaging affect. The act of  naming emotions provides opportunity for individuals to connect at a deeper level by creating an emotional bond (Costello, Wachtel & Wachtel, 2010). Naming emotions is important when trying to break down systems of  oppres-sion. Often, naming something as racist will paralyze someone through shame. Shame often makes folks shut down and not engage in conversation. However, if  folks are intentional about creating and building the relationship at the Hiraldo146 • The Vermont Connection • 2019 • Volume 40beginning, the possibility of  folks being able to authentically engage in difficult conversations increases. Restorative practices provides a platform for difficult work to take place. It is a method of  engagement that allows folks to show up authentically.ConclusionOverall, I strongly believe that the use of  CRT along with leadership styles that place social justice at the center can help address the inequities that we conscious-ly and subconsciously reinforce. This process, coupled with an environment that focuses on building relationships across difference through the use of  restorative practices and intercultural competence, will aid teams in having more productive conversations about issues of  inequity. I plan to revisit these topics throughout my doctoral journey. I firmly believe in the importance of  creating a process in which practitioners and educators can fill in the gaps between theory and practice to create more just and equitable systems.• 147ReferencesCostello, B., Wachtel, J. & Wachtel, T. (2010). Restorative circles in schools : building community and enhancing learning. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: International Institute for Restorative Practices.Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of  color. Stanford Law Review, 43, 1241-1299.Dugan, J. (2017). Leadership theory: cultivating critical perspectives. San Francisco, CA Hoboken, New Jersey: Jossey-Bass John Wiley & Sons.Decuir, J., & Dixson, A. (2004). “So when it comes out, they aren’t that surprised that it is there:” Using critical race theory as a tool of  analysis of  race and racism in education. Educational Researcher, 33, 26-31Delgado, R. (Ed.). (1995). Critical race theory: The cutting edge. Philadelphia: Temple University PressLadson-Billings, G., & Tate, W. (1995). Toward a critical race theory of  education. Teachers College Record, 97(1), 47-68.Ladson-Billings, G. (1998). Just what is critical race theory and what’s it doing in a nice field like education? International Journal of  Qualitative Studies in Education, 11(1), 7-24.McCoy, D. L. (2006). Entering the academy: Exploring the socialization experiences of  African American male faculty. (Doctoral dissertation, Louisiana State University). Retrieved from http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/ etd04052006-143046/McCoy, D.L & Rodricks, D.J. (2015). Critical race theory in higher education: 20 years of  theoretical and research innovations. ASHE Higher Education Report, 41(3). doi: 10.1002/aehe.20021 Solorzano, D.G., & Yosso, T.J. (2002). Critical race methodology: Counter storytelling as an analytical framework for educational research. Qualitative Inquiry, 8(1), 23-44.Hiraldo

Future Scenario: Praxis in Critical Race Theory in Higher Education and Student Affairs

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Future Scenario: Praxis in Critical Race Theory in Higher Education and Student Affairs

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