Fugitive Learnings: An Endarkened Feminist Inquiry into Administrative Refusals and Creative Escapes

A long-standing faculty member, Carmen Kynard rejects leadership and the label of “leader.” Instead, Kynard embraces where she sees the transformation possibilities of the university—the classroom. Drawing on Black feminist activists, in this chapter Kynard puts into practice ideas associated with community organizing to see the classroom as a place for “fugitive learning,” a concept drawn from theorist Fred Moten and others. This chapter situates Kynard’s position in her own fugitive learnings: experiences with white supremacist curriculum and Black students; with minoritized populations who experienced their identities interrogated and turned against them. Fugitive learning, Kynard writes, provides an alternative perspective, transforming relationships in the classroom, within institutions, and with communities.