College professor claims black workers should get paid time off when a black person is killed
Illinois college professor says African Americans should be given ‘black bereavement leave’ when a black person is killed (even if they have NO affiliation with them)
- Dr. Angel Jones’ area of expertise is the impact of racism on the mental health of black students at historically white institutions
- Southern Illinois University professor calls for ‘black bereavement leave’
A college professor has argued that black workers should be given paid time off when someone in the black community is tragically killed, even if they have no direct connection to them.
Dr. Angel Jones, who teaches at Southern Illinois University, argued that black teachers should be eligible for “black bereavement leave” because the grieving process for the community after a public tragedy can be tough.
The professor said she recently burst into tears when she had to email her students in the wake of the death of Tire Nichols – who was beaten to death in Memphis, allegedly at the hands of five black officers.
She claims it was impossible to ignore her own feelings and that she had cried “numerous times” in the past by sending similar emails.
Dr. Angel Jones, who teaches at Southern Illinois University, has called for ‘Black bereavement leave’
The professor said she recently burst into tears when she had to email her students following the death of Tire Nichols (pictured) – who was beaten to death in Memphis, allegedly at the hands of five black officers
Write in an opinion piece Time Higher EducationDr. Jones said: ‘While it is common for employees to receive support and understanding when grieving the loss of a loved one, the same care is rarely shown to the Black community when we lose someone horribly and traumatically.
“Where’s our Black bereavement leave?”
The professor added that it is black educators who need to “use extra emotional energy” and pick up the slack after institutions send “mandatory and often performative statements to the campus community.”
In particular, Nicole Joseph and Hasina Mohyuddin, both deans at Vanderbilt University, used a self-automated ChatGPT to write a 297-word email to students about deadly mass shootings in the state of Michigan.
The two deans who signed the email at Vanderbilt University – Nicole Joseph (left) and Hasina Mohyuddin (right)
They were criticized for their lack of effort and sensitivity in addressing the shooting — in which Anthony Dwayne McRae killed three students on the MSU campus.
Dr. Jones claims black people’s pain is not acknowledged, staff are not counseled, and she wondered what the pardon was when black teachers miss a deadline after something traumatic happened to a black person in the news.
She continued, “Some may have thought I was joking when I mentioned Black bereavement leave, but I wasn’t.
“We need space and time to grieve without having to explain or defend. And since the grieving process, like the black community, is not a monolith, flexibility is required.’
Dr. Jones’ area of expertise is the impact of racism on the mental health of black students at historically white institutions – and one of her most recent works has been on how black college graduates respond to and cope with gender-racial microaggression.
She received her PhD from George Washington University and previously completed degrees from Georgia State and Syracuse Universities.
The visiting professor works at Southern Illinois University (pictured)
The professor added that it is black educators who need to “radiate extra emotional energy” and pick up the slack after institutions send “mandatory and often performative statements to the campus community.”