Geography, Geographers, and the Geographies of Antiracism by Andrea Choi A thesis submitted to ...

339 Pages·2017·2.02 MB·English

by  Andrea Choi

Geography, Geographers, and the Geographies of Antiracism

by

Andrea Choi

A thesis submitted to the Department of Geography and Planning
In conformity with the requirements for
the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
February 2018

Copyright © Andrea Choi, 2018
Abstract

This research builds upon contemporary understandings of the roles of race, whiteness, and
antiracism within the practice and profession of geography in North America. A Foucauldian
approach to intellectual genealogy, Critical Race Theory, and the experiences of geographers
of colour are used to trace the development of antiracist thought within dominant approaches
in human geography. The biographies, personal narratives, and professional genealogies of
antiracist geographers of colour in the United States and Canada reveal the connections
between personal experiences of racism and a relentless push for antiracist research and
practice. An in-depth analysis of the scholarly contributions of three prominent antiracist
geographers of colour further highlights the relationship between identity and personal
experiences in the advancement of geographic theory. In identifying geographers as
geographic subjects, an emphasis is placed on the hierarchy of racial knowledge and the
importance of the location from where, and by whom, geographic knowledges are produced.
While efforts to attract more people of colour into the profession of geography have
been made since the 1960s, the practice and production of geography in the United States and
Canada remains deeply racialized. The consistently small number of geographers of colour in
North America geography departments and geography’s limited engagement with critical
race research points to the continued power of whiteness in shaping the production of both
geographers and geographic knowledge. Despite the more than 50-year age span between the
youngest and oldest geographers interviewed, troubling thematic trends of experiences of
racism as geography graduate students and as faculty members emerged. Whiteness and
racism continue to pervade the discipline of geography in North America and the barriers
discouraging the practice and development of antiracist geographies remain strong.
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Dedication
To the trouble-making,
back-talking,
day-dreaming,
question-asking,
racialized,
and rebellious
kids of Scarborough
who refuse to be crushed
by the education system—
you are more brilliant
and brave,
limitless,
and powerful
than you can ever imagine
ii
Acknowledgements
In many ways, this PhD project started twelve years ago while in the middle of my
undergraduate degree. I came across an article by Audrey Kobayashi on whiteness and
representation in the discipline of geography and soon found myself combing through journal
articles on racism and whiteness, feeling lucky to have stumbled into an intellectual space
that actually made sense to me. Thank you, Audrey, for your unwavering support of my
academic pursuits, and your leadership, and dedication to transforming the discipline of
geography.
Thank you to all the antiracist geographers of colour who shared their stories and
participated in this research project—I find comfort in knowing you are out there doing great
work. I would especially like to thank Harold Rose and Bobby Wilson for generously sharing
their stories and insights with me. Engaging with your life histories was profoundly moving
and I am tremendously grateful for having the opportunity to learn from both of you.
To my family, friends, and colleagues who cheered me on, provided support, and
have shown great kindness and patience: thank you. In particular, I would like to thank
Beverley Mullings for your support and encouragement over the years. Your remarkable
ability to instill a sense of calm and clarity as I navigate graduate school is cherished. A
special thank you to the lifelong friends I have made at Queen’s: Hannah, Christine, Jie, and
Vanessa. The epic shared meals, nights out, and laughter have kept me going. Mom, Dad,
and Andy: thank you for your love, support, and patience.
Lastly, and with love and gratitude, I would like to thank my sister, Lisa, for her
unconditional support, encouragement, and humor. There’s no other person I would want
more on this surreal journey with me.
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Table of Contents
Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... i
Dedication ................................................................................................................................. ii
Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................... iii
List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................... vi
Glossary .................................................................................................................................. vii

Chapter 1 Introduction: Antiracism and Whiteness in Geography ..............................1
1.1 Purpose ...................................................................................................5
1.2 Outline of chapters .................................................................................8
1.3 Literature Review...................................................................................9

Chapter 2 Methodology and Methods: Critical Race Theory, Genealogy, and
Interviews with Antiracist Geographers
2.1 Critical Race Theory (CRT) ................................................................38
2.2 Genealogy ............................................................................................44
2.3 Methods ...................................................................................................... 54

Chapter 3 Harold Rose - In-depth Interview ................................................................70
3.1 Early Years and Educational Path........................................................71
3.2 Tenure-Track Position at the University of Milwaukee ......................77
3.3 Involvement with the AAG ..................................................................91

Chapter 4 Bobby Wilson - In-depth Interview ..............................................................99
4.1 Childhood, Youth, and the Civil Rights Movement ............................99
4.2 Becoming a Geographer: North Carolina Central and Clark University
............................................................................................................105
4.3 Recruiting Students into Geography Graduate Programs ..................121

Chapter 5 Audrey Kobayashi - In-depth Interview ....................................................131
5.1 Childhood, Japanese Canadian Identity, and Higher Education ........131
5.2 The Beginning of a Professional Career in Geography .....................142
5.3 Key Moments in Antiracist Geography .............................................151

Chapter 6 The Genealogy of Antiracist Geographies through the work and lives of
Harold Rose, Bobby Wilson, and Audrey Kobayashi ..............................163
6.1 Harold, Behavioral Geography, and Critical Race Analysis .............165
6.2 Bobby and Audrey: Influential Humanistic and Radical Geographers
............................................................................................................179
6.3 A Review of Bobby Wilson and Audrey Kobayashi’s Publications in
Antiracist Geography .........................................................................197
6.3.1 Bobby Wilson –Antiracism and Marxism .............................198
6.3.2 Audrey Kobayashi – Feminism, Antiracism, and
Intersectionality......................................................................210

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Chapter 7 Becoming an Antiracist Geographer: Childhoods, Place, and Experiences
of Racism in Geography Graduate Programs ...........................................219

Chapter 8 Racism in Geography: Experiences as Faculty Members ........................266

Chapter 9 Conclusion ....................................................................................................307

References ..............................................................................................................................315
Appendices .............................................................................................................................325

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List of Abbreviations

AAG Association of American Geographers
CLS Critical Legal Studies
COMGA Commission on Geography and Afro-America
CRT Critical Race Theory
DTF Diversity Task Force
Florida A&M Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
HBCUs Historically Black Colleges and Universities
REP Race, Ethnicity and Place
UBC University of British Columbia
UCLA University of California, Los Angeles

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Glossary

Antiracism The practice of challenging racism through

societal and institutional means; actions

that oppose white hegemony.

Antiracist geography Challenging racism through the institution

of geography or a geographic lens; actions

and research that oppose white hegemony

within geographic thought and practice.

Negro [sic] A contested term used widely in North
America from the 19th century until the

1960s, referring to people who appear to
have black skin; since the Civil Rights
Movement of the 1960s, Black and African
American have largely been used to
replace the term Negro due to the history
of slavery and discrimination associated
with the term.
North American Concerning Anglo-America: the U.S. and
Canada.
People of colour See: racialized minorities
Race A social construction that seeks to
categorize people based on physical
appearance, predominantly by the colour
of one’s skin.
Racialized minorities Determined through social processes of
ordering and categorizing people who do
not belong to the racial group that is
predominant or holding power.
White/whiteness A socially constructed category
designating power and privileges to white
people; possession of white racial power is
historically rooted and reflects the belief
that whiteness possesses an inherent
superiority over other racialized groups; is
predominant and reflected throughout
social, political, institutional, cultural etc.
realms of society.
vii
Chapter 1
Introduction
Antiracism and Whiteness in Geography
The slow-growing population of racialized geographers in North American geography
departments raises a number of vital questions about the discipline. Reoccurring themes in
antiracist geography literature include: the lack of racial diversity of those practicing within
the discipline (Deskins 1969; Horvath et al 1969; Kobayashi 2002; Pulido 2002; Price 2010;
Choi 2016) and how racial homogeneity of researchers plays a role in the types of research
produced (Kobayashi 2002; Berg 2011); the unchecked racial biases perpetuated through
mainstream geographical perspectives (Bonnett 1997); the Eurocentric nature of geography
courses (Deskins et al. 1971; Delaney 2002); and the barriers in attracting racialized minority
graduate students to the discipline (Mahtani 2002; Yasmeen 2002; Sanders 2006). Despite a
steady increase in racialized minority populations in both the United States and Canada, the
practice of geography and the bodies of geographers remain predominantly white. Although
geographers of colour greatly outnumber white geographers at the global scale, a focus on
racialized representation, whiteness, racism, and antiracism in the discipline of geography
within a North American context allows for a situated examination of social and political
factors influencing knowledge production.
Beginning in the late 1960s, a small number of geographers in the United States
problematized the lack of Black students and faculty in American geography departments, as
well as the inadequacy of geographic research on Black America (see for example Deskins
1969; Horvath et al. 1969; Deskins and Speil 1971; Deskins and Sibert 1975).
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America is in crisis. Times of crisis are times for reassessment. It is
appropriate that the geography profession assesses its position on the matter of
race relations in America to determine if the profession is making any
significant contributions to a solution to the racial dilemma facing America
today. (Horvath, Deskins, and Larimore 1969, 137)
This group of geographers began to raise questions about the types of involvement,
participation, and consideration of Black America and Black Americans in the practice of
academic geography in the United States. In 1968, Horvath, Deskins, and Larimore
distributed a survey to 111 predominantly white geography departments offering M.A. and
PhD programs in geography and found there were only two Black geographers who held
faculty positions at the selected universities (Horvath, Deskins, and Larimore 1969).
Spearheaded by Donald Deskins Jr., a number of questions were asked that would
profoundly change the trajectory of the discipline of geography. In his 1969 article in The
Professional Geographer, Deskins makes a plea to geographers to think more critically about
American racial problems. Deskins subtly yet brilliantly provides the link between the racial
make-up of those practicing geography and the lack of socially significant geographical
research about minority communities. In this early article, he points to the inadequacies of
geographical literature in addressing racial issues. Alluding to the politics of representation
of racialized people in geographic texts, Deskins argues the discipline of geography should
be doing more to recruit Black students into the discipline. Displeased with the descriptive
nature of articles on “the American Negro,” Deskins concludes the article by pointing to the
unbound potential of the discipline of geography to become more relevant, revolutionary, and
socially-conscious.
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