I discussed these issues with my Black colleagues during an August 2020 in-service affinity group gathering—one of the few opportunities we get to meet and reconnect. As we chatted, we took stock of the increased emotional and mental taxation on our daily lives. As our conversation progressed from in-house concerns and observations, our focus broadened to the collective experience of Black educators working in PWIs. At the time of these conversations, I was beginning my graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, and I decided that my practitioner research would explore how my peers were coping and surviving during this historic time of social unrest and racial reckoning. As part of my coursework, I conducted independent research to gauge the overall morale of Black faculty and identify what professional and personal needs were and weren’t being met.
I surveyed six of the 13 Black faculty at my school and one staff member about their feelings on the school’s response to the racial tension in our country and within our school community. Although the sample set was relatively small, the teaching experience of the participating members ranged from one to over 10 years at our school, representing a wide range of experiences and perspectives to draw from. All of the participants volunteered for follow-up interviews, which gave Black faculty and staff the chance to provide more context about their teaching journey, coping mechanisms during this challenging time, and ways they’ve felt supported or let down by our school.
From the responses, two threads emerged: the necessity of emotional support in our schools through affinity groups and the need for culturally responsive professional development opportunities similar to ones offered at the NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC). As I delved deeper into my research, I focused on an essential question: How does the implementation of faculty affinity groups and culturally responsive professional development opportunities influence the overall morale of Black teachers in PWIs?
The Need for Affinity Groups
Many schools tout diversity as essential to their mission and core values; however, diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB) is not always an authentic practice. This misalignment of intention and implementation is yielding an exodus of Black faculty from these institutions, as Ralinda Watts describes in an August 2021 Independent Ideas blog. Meanwhile, many independent schools are making concerted efforts toward increasing Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) student representation. As well-intentioned as this may be, it creates a situation where more BIPOC students are enrolled in school with a shrinking number of teachers who mirror their racial identity.At my school, there are 13 Black faculty members. We’ve all had different experiences in independent school settings, and for many, navigating that life requires giving up a part of oneself to get ahead. Personally, that took many forms throughout my career. I was often mistaken for another Black teacher, and in some cases, a Black student. Microaggressions such as these are common and tend to have a corrosive effect on emotional and mental well-being. This is only intensified when Black faculty ask themselves, “Do I make a big deal of this or let it slide?” or “Didn’t we already have this conversation?” This and similar experiences are compounded when Black faculty aren’t afforded a space to be authentic, seen, and valued.
In her book, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Beverly Tatum outlines a familiar circumstance that many Black faculty face when working in PWIs. “Particularly in work settings, where people of color are isolated and often in the extreme minority, the opportunities to connect with peers of color are few and far between. White people are often unaware of how stressful such a situation can be.”
As confirmed in my research findings, affinity groups are one of the few places in PWIs where Black faculty and staff expressed a genuine sense of recognition and appreciation. Affinity groups provide teachers who share a common identity at our school the opportunity to meet, connect, and support each other. The Black affinity group gatherings at our school can range from informal check-ins to more structured and facilitated conversations about stress management and teaching practices. As important as these meetings are, they are unfortunately infrequent.
When discussing the importance of affinity groups at our school during an interview, one participant said, “[I] recognize and see my Blackness more when I’m around multiple people who see me in ways that other people can’t, and at the same time, all of us are vastly different from each other. It's truly a beautiful thing and gives me comfort.” Another participant described affinity groups as “a space where I can say the things I need to say, you know, and be who I am and not have to couch it.” This kind of comfort can be a critical emotional lifeline for Black teachers.
Culturally responsive professional development is also critical. Many of those surveyed reported that while they value opportunities to attend identity-affirming conferences like PoCC, the time allotted to pursue these opportunities is limited. “Our school supports Black faculty in obtaining funding for PD that supports them,” one participant said, “but does not create nearly enough time and space for these kinds of opportunities to happen on campus during school time and hours.”
In my experience, professional development that affirms and supports Black educators in independent schools usually only happens at PoCC. While PoCC is an inspiring experience, regular professional development opportunities are required if school leaders hope to sustain the growth and well-being of Black faculty. My own professional growth has felt rather piecemeal—a collage of individual research, trials, and errors, and invaluable mentorship from more experienced Black educators and school leaders. If leadership at PWIs hopes to stem the tide of attrition among Black faculty, they need to invest in a consistent approach to professional development that is not reactionary.
Improving Well-Being
The past 18 months have been like no other time for a person of color at a PWI. I have learned to be OK with saying “no” to requests that further tax my depleted emotional reserves. I’ve established healthy boundaries, such as acknowledging that it’s not always my responsibility to coach my white colleagues through their misconceptions about race or Black folks. I’ve allotted myself more time and more space to process events and interactions that leave me feeling drained and disillusioned. It can be inefficient and, at times, ineffective to wait for our institutions to “make time” for us, so I had to find and build a support system at my school. Casual meetings for lunch, BIPOC group chats, and guidance from more experienced Black faculty and school leaders have helped me find a balance. Mentorship from other Black educators and school leaders has given me both perspective and hope for the future.I hope school leaders will make it a priority to improve the teaching experience of their Black faculty by intentionally budgeting more time for supportive gatherings like affinity groups and providing more culturally responsive professional development opportunities to sustain teachers throughout the year. And most of all, I hope my research findings affirm that our voices, stories, and well-being matter.
