Meet Josh Schuschke | Scholar

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josh Schuschke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josh, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I always credit any success I’ve had to my community. My community includes friends, family, fellow organizers, and youth that have participated in my research. As a scholar, it is important to recognize the various ways that the people we share space with are constantly informing our intellectual work and how our ancestors and those that came before us laid the ground work for not only our success, but also provided pathways for us to continue our fight for liberation. There is no success without community and I view having such an incredible network of collaborators as essential to achieving our individual and collective goals. When people see my achievements I hope they see the people I surround myself with too, and I hope those people see themselves in my success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a student organizer, I learned early in my academic career that institutions are not always supportive of social change and the well-being of historically marginalized communities. Even if schools, universities, or companies say they support diversity, equity, and inclusion, they typically are only doing so through a narrow lens or as window dressing. This early lesson was important for me to learn as I am a scholar and researcher who advocates for Black freedom, and the liberations of all oppressed people across the globe, which is often placed in opposition to traditional values and practices of the academy. With this in mind, I have worked alongside my collaborators to be at the forefront of understanding our socio-political and cultural context so we can begin to address problems before they arise, and train our students to take our work a step further. If there is anything I would want people to know about my story, it’s that my actions and academic career began with a political education which informed my praxis. I believe that using critical perspectives are only useful insofar as they help push our practices in building solidarity towards collective actions rooted in love.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am reaching my 10 year anniversary in Los Angeles. I have spent 8 of those years in Ladera Heights. There is no place I would rather live, and I love to show my neighborhood and its surrounding areas to friends when they visit. Whether it’s grabbing a coffee at Hilltop Cafe on Slauson, hanging around Leimert Park, or attending concerts in Inglewood there is a lot of opportunities to find what brings you happiness and peace on this side of The 10.

When it comes to finding food, as someone from Kentucky, I always give my fried chicken stamp approval to Louisiana Fried Chicken. I’m also a regular at Mike’s Deli on Slauson. Probably my favorite thing about LA in general is that there is a wide range of food options that are inclusive of all cultures and dietary preferences.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I love going to the beach. Living 15-25 minutes away from different beaches brings me a sense of calm, which is always necessary whenever I find myself stressed out or in a writing block. Feeling the sun’s warmth, the ocean breeze, and hearing the waves crash is when I’m my happiest and I try to share that with others every chance I get.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This is a very difficult question, as I noted in my previous response, my community is key to my success. Therefore, to name a single individual, group, or entity would miss so much of my story. I will speak more broadly in terms of friends, who at various stages of my journey as an academic and organizer have supported me, and even have shared those experience as well. There is absolutely no way I would have found my purpose or completed certain professional milestones without the love and expert advice of my friends.

Additionally, I can’t let my story be told without my mentors, whether they were my formal advisors, senior scholars, or colleagues. This collection of Black scholars have taught me how to navigate the terrain of academia. Their leadership in not only my skill development, but also their humanizing compassion to lead with love is something I try to emulate for my students and mentees.

Website: https://www.joshschuschke.com

Instagram: @joshschuschke

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshschuschke/

Twitter: @joshschuschke

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pleasedontaddme

Other: Bluesky: @joshschuschke.bsky.social

Image Credits
Denim Jacket and Blue Suit Photo: Bria Celest ( Instagram: @celestimages)
Dissertation of the Year photo: Ryan Herring (Instagram: @uptop_redd)