ADORE: A Framework for Community Building to Dismantle anti-Black Racism in Academia

In higher education, power structures, including anti-Black racism, perpetuate whiteness and thwart the full capability of human potential for Black Americans. The aggregate impact of anti-Black racism, a specific form of racism, potentiates the marginalization of Black Americans. While Black intellectuals have a distinct role to play in dismantling systems of oppression, gatekeepers protect hegemonic systems that perpetuate the status quo and mute Black voices. Critical race theory (CRT) serves as a lens for confronting America’s racist past and provides a mechanism for addressing systems that perpetuate inequities. CRT is a theoretical framework useful in designing approaches to dismantling structural racism and counterbalancing dominant paradigms, each foundational to developing a new social contract with Black Americans. This article presents a community building model to support the advancement of ethical public service in complex social environments. The ADORE model is a strategic framework for academic institutions to (A) acknowledge harm, welcome (D) diverse perspectives, accept (O) ownership and (R) responsibility for systemic change, and garner the (E) energy to sustain progress. The model centers agape and radical self-love as integral components to intentionally dismantle anti-Black racism in public institutions.