Pandemic Reflections:
In the last 7-8 months, my work has both shifted & intensified. The unrealistic expectations re: professionalism/productivity has contributed to burnout & despair. And, the request for a ‘pre-talk’ talk has emerged as one of the top exhausting demands.

Why is the request for ‘pre-talk’ exhausting & frustrating? Well, I had time yesterday because it’s been a constant source of frustration for me and many others.
I wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it go!
#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

10 Questions To Consider Before Requesting A ‘Pre-Talk’ Talk.
By Dr Mama Kam

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

# 1: Are we still living and coping with a global health crisis, ie. #COVID19?

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

#2: Is the panelist a subject matter expert in the topic for which they have been invited to speak?

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

#3: Has the panelist been offered an honorarium commensurate with their time, expertise and knowledge?

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

#4: Is the panelist an individual with marginalized or minoritized identities, whose labor & expertise is often poorly compensated, under-resourced or underappreciated?

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

#5: Is the panelist an individual who, because of their identities experiences a ‘wage gap’ compared to their non-minoritized/privileged counterparts?

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

#6: Was a request for a pre-talk talk includes in the terms and conditions outlined in the invitation and factored into the honorarium?

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

#7: Is the virtual platform being used [zoom, gotomeeting, streamyard, etc] one which might be wholly unfamiliar to the panelist*?

*panelist has likely been invited to, or have facilitated numerous online presentations since Mar2020.

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

#8: Is this “academic dress rehearsal” simply a means of providing direction & assurances for the (anxious) organizer who has. It yet fully developed their conceptualization of the goals and objectives of the event/panel?

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

#9: If the answer to #8 is YES, are you compensating the panelist separately as a *consultant* on this event/panel?

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

#10: Can the ‘pre-talk’ talk be summarized in a concise but comprehensive email?

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

Hey look - there’s an ANSWER KEY!
[cuz I’m a nerdy scholar ]

#AcademiaInTheCOVIDAge

Lastly, if the panelist is a descendant of enslaved Africans, consider the brutal irony of requesting labor from an individual who isn’t sufficiently compensated... AND hasn’t received reparations for the enslavement, torture & forced labor of their ancestors.