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“White Pricks” (A.K.A. Inoculations against Racialized Trauma) to Decenter White Privilege in a Professional Association's Leadership Networks of LIS Educators

Bharat Mehra (University of Alabama, USA)

Antiracist Library and Information Science: Racial Justice and Community

ISBN: 978-1-80262-100-6, eISBN: 978-1-80262-099-3

Publication date: 21 March 2023

Abstract

This chapter introduces the construct of “white pricks” defined as vaccines of moral awakenings to inoculate against racialized trauma in a white-centered majority in library and information science (LIS) education and challenge its hegemonic power, privilege, and oppressions. In keeping with the theme of the book, one male “voice” of color from the margins of a predominantly white-female majority provides a strategic approach to operationalize social justice toward antiracist praxis and decenter white privilege in a professional association’s leadership networks of LIS educators. The narrative also highlights ways to integrate the American Library Association’s ninth principle recently included in its Code of Ethics beyond “lip-service” via social justice actions to change imbalanced power dynamics and discard systemic enactment of dysfunctional behaviors, practices, and policies.

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Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

The author appreciates the support and collaborative spirit of many LIS educators in various professional associations and in his current and past appointments within the academy.

Citation

Mehra, B. (2023), "“White Pricks” (A.K.A. Inoculations against Racialized Trauma) to Decenter White Privilege in a Professional Association's Leadership Networks of LIS Educators", Black, K. and Mehra, B. (Ed.) Antiracist Library and Information Science: Racial Justice and Community (Advances in Librarianship, Vol. 52), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 211-223. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0065-283020230000052021

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited