Dr. Andrea Pitts, Associate Professor of Philosophy at UNC Charlotte, discusses their personal background and how that has affected the way they think about the world and the current problems facing Latinx students at the University. On their mother's side, Dr. Pitts' family has Salvadoran and Nicaraguan ancestors who immigrated to Panama City during the 1940s and 1950s. On their father's side, Dr. Pitts' ancestors are ethnically Welsh and English people, who immigrated to the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries. They discuss the way that these two different heritages affected them as they grew up, and also how their multicultural friend group gave them an altruistic outlook on life. Dr. Pitts discusses how they fell in love with philosophy while studying Mexican philosophy in Mexico City for their masters in Philosophy with a Graduate Certificate in Latin American Studies. They talk about earning their Ph.D. in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University in Nashville Tennessee, and how they and their partner were both offered positions at UNC Charlotte. Dr.Pitts also describes their work on campus with the LGBTQ+ Staff and Faculty Caucus, digital justice advocacy, migrant studies, and other Latinx-serving partners on campus. They also speak of the hardships that Latinx Black and Brown students face on campus, including biased policing, and not having access to good internet services.
