In the first episode of TIE’s fall semester series, Dr. Davarian L. Baldwin, Trinity College’s Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of American Studies, reveals how universities practice aggressive real estate, low-wage employment, and campus policing tactics that result in gentrification, higher taxes, and inequitable healthcare and other amenities for residents—especially communities of color. Joined by Toward Inclusive Excellence editor-in-chief Alexia Hudson-Ward, Davarian defines terms from his recent title, In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower: How Universities are Plundering Our Cities, such as “UniverCities” and “bright flight,” explaining their relationship to university and city leaders’ joint efforts to keep educated, white collar professionals in urban areas. Finally, Davarian highlights actionable solutions like affordable housing mandates, food donations, and community benefit agreements in addition to his ongoing advocacy work. In this conversation, Davarian underscores how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies on campus must go beyond diversifying faculty or curricula to account for how universities themselves play a role in destructive practices against communities of color.

Episode theme music: Black is the Night by Jeris (c) copyright 2014 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. Ft: DJ Vadim (djvadim), NiGiD