A few years ago, a scholar of color reflected on being interviewed for a new position. White scholars questioned why they moved across several institutions in a short period of time. The scholar of color calmly noted that discrimination forces minoritized peoples to be nomadic.

The reality is that many institutions—including those “committed to justice”—do little to assess the *historic* ways white supremacy, cisheteropatriarchy, ableism, and other forms of social domination create unequal/toxic conditions in policies, pay scales, and workplace culture.

Minoritized peoples, faced with these realities, are forced to negotiate their relationship to these institutions. Some choose reform, some choose activism, some choose minimal engagement, some choose to leave.

I always ask what the conditions of possibility existed within an institution for a minoritized individual who left a position. Were they constantly fighting? Were they forced into a box? Were they encouraged to flourish? Were they forced to choose integrity over livelihood?

Sometimes leaving an institution all together is the only way to survive.....