Presidential Spotlight: It’s Time for Discomfort and Courage

Abstract

Amy Aldridge Sanford, immediate past president of the Central States Communication Association, shares parting thoughts as her term on the organization’s executive committee comes to an end. A self-identified well-intentioned white ally, she admits to recent mistakes made in her personal journey to a raised consciousness regarding racial and ethnic oppression. Sanford challenges members of CSCA, particularly folx from privileged spaces, to radicalize their journeys of consciousness by embodying the courage necessary to challenge the status quo, especially when it comes to the business of faculty hiring and graduate admissions. The author argues that increasing diversity in the latter will only improve the diversity of the former, which is necessary if faculty and academic administrators in the United States are ever going to be truly reflective of the demographics of the undergraduate student population in modern colleges and universities. Sanford expresses appreciation to the dozens of CSCA members who practiced courage and discomfort during her presidency, including the organizers and participants of the inclusive conference spaces video project, the difficult conversations faculty learning community, and the family friendly task force initiative.

Keywords:

• Professional Organization
• Allies
• Academic Conferences
• Privilege
• Leadership

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.