[Just over a year ago, Vaughn finalized and we launched this new public scholarly website, Black & White & Read All Over. There’s a lot about the site and what it has brought out of and added to our work that I believe is worth highlighting, so this week I’ll do just that in a series of reflections. Leading up to a weekend post of requests for y’all!]
Three additional fantastically helpful pages Vaughn has created (to complement those I shared in Tuesday’s post):
- Independent Scholar Resources: One of the things I strive for in my #ScholarSunday threads is to share work produced by and featuring scholars outside of academia; I’ve similarly worked to expand the reach and community of the scholarly organizations to which I’ve been connected in any sort of leadership capacity, including the Scholars Strategy Network. Such unaffiliated scholars can have a particularly difficult time accessing the resources necessary to do their work, and so I really value this page on our site, in which Vaughn has found and shared a number of vital examples of resources that don’t require an academic affiliation (as well as job sites for those folks seeking such connections). Community needs solidarity to thrive, and Vaughn is modeling that here beautifully.
- First Gen Academics: That’s far from the only form of solidarity that Vaughn has expressed and built on our site, as illustrated by this brief (but always open to expansion, so share your suggestions as ever!) but beautiful page. I blogged here about a new initiative for first-gen students that our wonderful Fitchburg State University President Donna Hodge (herself such a student) has brought to the university, and she and Vaughn have bonded over that shared experience and the need to support all those who are part of that community. I love that our website features a space for such support!
- Shifting to Public Scholarship: Those two pages reflect how many layers Vaughn has brought to our site—but if it has one central throughline, it’s the goal captured in the site’s subtitle: “Where Scholarship Meets the Public.” Both Vaughn and I believe that such meetings don’t happen accidentally, and that they can’t happen without work on the part of us scholars to build such connections. I agree with Vaughn (from her link to it on the First-Gen Academics page) that David M. Perry’s book The Public Scholar is a great resource for all those looking to make this move. But I don’t believe you’ll find a clearer and more engaging, nor more thoughtful and helpful, set of tips anywhere than on this page on our site. Check it out, let us know your suggestions or additions, and solidarity, all!
Last reflections tomorrow,
Ben
PS. What do you think?
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