ABSTRACT
Following the Black feminist tradition of “kitchen table conversations” (e.g., Beverly and Barbara Smith in This Bridge Called My Back), Aph and Syl Ko discuss their difficult decision to leave their respective graduate programs. Given the importance placed upon education as a means of uplift for Black communities, the Ko sisters admit to struggling with feeling as though they were “quitters” or “losers.” Aph and Syl reflect on the racist and sexist microaggressions and discrimination they experienced in academia—commonly cited obstacles faced by women of color scholars and students. However, they note that a much more disruptive manifestation of oppression was that of disciplinarity in academia. They describe how distinct academic disciplines, which scholars are penalized for crossing, serve to literally discipline radical scholars in order to curtain their pursuit of liberatory and critical scholarship. Consequently, they question the extent to which they could make a difference within academe and find courage in their decision to pursue alternative careers.
