How "vocal" should you be on political matters as a grad student?

[thesubalternspeaks]

I'm starting a PhD program this fall at a smallish private university in the South. I know universities are 'bastions of liberalism' but as a woman of color who went to an East Coast "super liberal" private university for my undergraduate degree, I know that that  is often restricted to words and once you're actually loud in your department about necessary changes etc things can get pretty frosty. As an undergrad, I didn't have too much insight into what happened with my professors but even I could see that while my department was all about "diversity and inclusivity,"  there was real resistance to actual change and there were "sides" to be taken and the environment seemed hostile  to faculty of color. Again, this was just the impression I got from my observations and a few comments from professors but the fact that the department could never manage to retain faculty of color seems to suggest the same...

My question is directed especially to PhD students in English departments who are people of color (but also anyone else who has insight into this)- do you think there are consequences to being too politically active and too vocal and too radical? Can that affect your reputation within the department and ultimately your career? I'm sorry if this question sounds naive  but just with everything that's going on, I know how strongly I feel about things and I know tenured professors can afford to be pretty vocal but I'm wondering if as a grad student I should try not to be too public about some of my opinions. You can see some of the horror stories people are sharing on the #BlackInIvory hashtag on Twitter and I just want advice on how best to navigate this. 

[dr. t]

2 hours ago, thesubalternspeaks said:

do you think there are consequences to being too politically active and too vocal and too radical? Can that affect your reputation within the department and ultimately your career?

Yes, there absolutely can be consequences to your reputation and career. That doesn't mean don't do it anyway. 

[snorkles]

Get a feel for the culture of the department and decide from there. I suspect your department doesn't have a student union (recognized or otherwise), but if it does then I'd go there first. 

[Sigaba]

Please keep in mind that as a woman of color, you make a powerful and positive statement for diversity every time you step onto campus, build your skills, and participate in conversations.

Insofar as consequences, there are different kinds of negative ones. The one I recommend you keep in the forefront of your thought is the perception of "time on task." A member of your department can ask the question "If @thesubalternspeaks is doing X, Y, and Z, then how is she getting her work done?" It is the kind of a question that can give pause to even those professors who are empathetic to what you're doing."

My recommendation is that you develop a  range of tactics that will allow you to square the circle of being true to your vision of who you want to be as a person, of being an agent of change, and of developing your skills.

I ask that your tactics reflect an understanding that racism in America is older than the United States itself, that the journey of meaningful change is not linear, and, perhaps most important (from my perspective) is that you are a "strategic asset" that is going to be in this fight for decades. The ability to pick your spots, to know that you can find a balance between living your life as you like (itself a victory) and fighting for what you believe.

Insofar as the hiring practices of an institution, please consider the potential benefits of clandestine activities, the first of which would be to find out what kinds of considerations (professional, personal, and political) drive decisions to recruit, to hire, and to promote. Sometimes, knowing the story behind the story can help one decide what to do next.