“Tracing his intellectual development from childhood in Port-au-Prince to adulthood in Massachusetts and thereafter, Pierre Orelus provides an historical account of self that is sure to haunt us. Despite ascending the U.S. class ladder through education, Orelus runs into the fact of race to remind us that the coloniality of whiteness in ‘America’ places limitations on black intellectuals. In this gripping, reflective narrative, Orelus lets us in to the trauma-inducing experience of striving, while surviving, under white supremacy. It engages the intellect simultaneously with intense emotion, quiet rage, and a sense of hope in the struggle for personhood. At once personal and analytical, Living in the Shadows is critical scholarship in the most meaningful sense of that phrase.”
– Zeus Leonardo, Professor and Associate Dean, Graduate School of Education and Faculty of the Critical Theory Designated Emphasis, University of California, Berkeley, author of Edward Said and Education
“With uninhibited honesty and detail, Dr. Pierre Orelus takes us through his struggles and consternations. His is a story that is not fearful of contradictions, but is instead one that is willing to push the work forward in a place that was never meant for us. I am humbled by his candor and encouraged by his willingness to challenge notions of ‘success’ in the hallowed halls of academe.”
– David Stovall, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago
“In this book, Dr. Orelus writes a deeply personal story that addresses some of the childhood trauma as a child growing up in Haiti who immigrated to the United States as a college student. He went to complete a doctorate and became a successful scholar. As he tells his life story, he also elucidates how both oppression and privilege shaped his life experience. His reflection on his own positionality further strengthens his strong critique of the ways in which BIPOC scholars in the academy are treated. His accounts of being racially profiled in multiple contexts in the US – both on and off-campus – give readers incredible insight into what Black scholars experience before they enter the classroom. BIPOC scholars’ experiences within the halls of the academy are equally problematic. Dr. Orelus’s work is significant because it gives it clear insights into the experiences of Black immigrants in the US while also shedding significant light on what universities must do in order to create more inclusive communities for BIPOC scholars.”
– Marvin Lynn, PhD, Dean & Professor, College of Education, Portland State University