Abstract
This exploratory study seeks to establish an understanding of relationships between Black and white femme faculty (BFF and WFF, respectively) in academic work units, as reifications of anti-Blackness in the academy. The study corpus, or body of work that was analyzed, consists of stories from BFF about interactions and experiences with WFF that have been published in anthologies about womxn in higher education; Black Critical Race Theory and the “mammy” trope supported analysis as the conceptual frameworks. Findings indicate that WFF rejected BFF as professional equals who are deserving of full access to and participation in academia. They also suggested that WFF undermined BFF through white-only alliances, and sometimes appealed to white masculine superiors to sabotage BFF colleagues in support of their own success. The study has implications for expanding scholarly discourses about workplace interactions and harassment, exercises of power, and professional relationships in the academy.