Invited Symposium I: Excavating Constructs for Grand Challenges: Unearthing White Supremacy, Neoliberal Racism, and Neocolonialism

Given our political and social climate, excavating and illuminating ideological and epistemological forces that undergird societal problems are key to formulating culturally valid research and practice solutions. Specifically, this opening session for the symposia provides the initial deep dive into unearthing how white supremacy, neoliberal racism and neocolonialism as interlocked systems of oppression, will continue to operate unchecked if they are not explicitly addressed in the social work Grand Challenges Initiatives. From this perspective, social work researchers and community partners can consider not only how to react to Grand Challenges, but how to counter the normative and ideological forces that produce them.