Me and academic whiteness: an autoethnographic escrevivência

Abstract

Understanding whiteness is crucial for deconstructing racism, revealing it not as a natural or individual phenomenon, but as a structural system that benefits certain groups at the expense of others. This study reflects on 14 years of experiences with a specific dominant group: academic whiteness. This qualitative research employs an autoethnographic approach, utilizing Conceição Evaristo's concept of "escrevivência" (writing from lived experience) as a theoretical framework for self-narration. The findings are presented through narrative texts and autobiographical excerpts, with decolonial theory and Black feminist thought serving as the theoretical lens for comprehending these experiences. This work illuminates the mechanisms and behaviors perpetuated by whiteness within academia, including tone policing, the reinforcement and propagation of racist stereotypes, the phenomenon of "white silence" and the "white pact," and behaviors indicative of white centrality and exceptionality. The reflections and conceptualizations presented aim to contribute to the development of more effective strategies for combating racism in its various forms—individual, institutional, or structural. Furthermore, this research seeks to foster a critical consciousness of academic whiteness and facilitate the construction of anti-racist alliances.