Black Ostracism from Intangible Spaces

Abstract

While American society purports to be open, democratic, and egalitarian, its exclusionary practices impede racialized people from entering White spaces (Johnson, 2000). This exclusion of People of Color from White spaces results in segregated spaces in American society. Black occupancy in White spaces directly challenges White ideals of their supremacy over others, self- entitlement, and unconscious aggression toward perceived challenges to the self-identity of White Americans. Everything from desegregation and civil rights to upward social mobility and media portrayals of Black people have reshaped the borders of White spaces and, in doing so, defined new ways that Blackness is unacceptable within them. Although Black people have made inroads into settings previously occupied only by Whites, ostracism remains a reality for Black people in all spatial dimensions. This is overwhelmingly true in actual physical places like White neighborhoods, schools, universities, workplaces, courtrooms, and other public spaces.Black people, however, are also barred from non-material, arbitrary and intangible spaces (hereinafter collectively, “intangible spaces”). Intangible spaces are not geographical physical places, but socially constructed spaces that are present in all aspects of American life, including education. This critical discourse analysis (CDA) will use a critical race theory (CRT) perspective to examine the racial power imbalances that exist for Black people through ostracism, anti-Blackness, color evasiveness and segregation within a non-geographical space – the policymaking arena. Further, this CDA will analyze how White supremacy culture (WSC) coalesce around education policies that segregate Black students and exclude Black parents from the metaphoric policy table and from decision-making arenas in America’s educational system.