Dear Higher Education: Letters from the Social Justice Mountain

Vol. 3 (2026): Special Issue on Women of Color in Higher Education

Published: 2026-06-18

This special issue of Dear Higher Education: Letters from the Social Justice Mountain—"Women of Color in the Academy: Being the Lonely Only"—serves as a vital platform for voices that have long navigated the academic landscape from the margins. This collection seeks to illuminate the profound complexities of the "Lonely Only" experience. 

The journal organizes these powerful narratives into three pillars:

Why We Come to the Mountain: These letters address the broad, systemic challenges that define the shared experiences of women of color, from the silent burden of salary differentials to the intricate balance of managing multigenerational caregiving while ascending a career ladder.

Why We Need to Be Heard: This section highlights the unique, intersectional identities of those who occupy the space of the "outsider who stays," offering insights into migrations of geography, identity, and belonging.

Why We Believe Transformation is Possible: With a forward-looking lens, these contributions raise visions of hope and courage, asserting that the future of higher education is not only possible but made brighter by the presence and persistence of women of color.

What We Want to Say to Those Who Follow: A special contribution from co-authors who are part of a growing netowrk of Indigenous scholars primarily based in Canada and the United States. The letter is from Academic Aunties to Indigenous students and early career academics.

Through the intimate form of the letter, this issue invites a transformative dialogue that appeals to the academy’s highest aspirations for equity and collective empowerment.