Get Involved - An Injustice Against One Person Is An Injustice Against All

To get involved on the planning team reach out to Dr. Jez at rjez@sandiego.edu

March 2021

What a phenomenal month of DLT #BLM Social Justice and Advocacy events! On March 12th we had the premier of the “Everyday Intersectionality: Dissecting the Intersection” video –don’t worry if you missed it, it is on demand!– where Josh Campbell (“the collision of identities”), Vei Tsalikis (“in my uniform the Black is covered by the Blue”), and Michelle Mariglioano (“historical storytelling had taught them about power, position, and preservation”) shared their experiences of intersectionality.

This was followed on March 19th with our “Everyday Intersectionality: Panel and Workshop.” We began with a moment of silence for our Asian and Pacific Islander Community and to honor the lives of Delaina Ashley Yaun, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Soon C. Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong A. Yue, and Paul Andre Michels. We honor the words from our panelist, Dr. Chanelle Wilson and Mr. Matthew Morris. Please see our solidarity statement for a complete list of our intentions. We encourage you to listen to Dr. Wilson shares how “it’s [her] time” and the impact of “dropping a seed” to encourage growth. Mr. Morris’ poetic share on his “awareness” of his lived experience and his push to engage others in sitting with discomfort through listening- such powerful and inspirational educators! Next, we broke out into groups to answer: What does intersectionality mean to you? How does it show up in your everyday life? We invite you to add to the resources we gathered in Everyday Intersectionality Resources

We want to extend our gratitude to everyone who worked together on these powerful events:

Dissecting the Intersection Video Panel: Vei Tsalikis, Josh Campbell, Michelle Marigliano
Everyday Intersectionality Speakers: Dr. Chanelle Wilson (Assistant Professor, Bryn Mawr/Haverford University), Matthew Morris (Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, Lewisville ISD), Myeshia Whigham (PhD Student), and the closing by Dr. Reyes Quezada (DLT Chair)
DLT #BLM March Planning Committee: Michelle Coleman (PhD Student), Raketa Ouedra0go-Thomas (PhD Student), Lindsay Roberts (Community Affiliate), Zulema Reynoso (PhD Student), Adan Escobedo (PhD Student), Dr. Rebekka Jez (DLT Faculty), and Dr. Joseph Lathan (DLT Faculty)

Word cloud from the 3/19 event chat:

Screen Shot 2021-03-23 at 1.24.09 PM.png

On November 6th we engaged in a dialogue on Sacred Purpose and Healing with Dr. Ricardo Medina and Gabriel Nuñez-Soria. We unpacked the meaning of Westernized purpose and how this has evolved deeply in decolonizing efforts to bring forth our own sacred purpose. Sacred purpose is multi-dimensional and it focuses on our past ancestral experiences, our present to live in the moment, and impacting the future legacy of our family. More importantly, this talk focused on how we are all works in progress and how we need to make healing a centered effort in order to do this work for justice and abolition. Healing will come in many forms and it will leave even more questions within ourselves. This is liberation work and it is lifelong. Visit our website or click on this link to watch it or share it with others.

#ScholarStrike

September 8 and 9th #ScholarStrike: “When a state fails, society steps in, and it is in that spirit that the scholar strike was conceived.” This event is intended to push change by encouraging faculty in institutes of higher education to think deeply about how their actions can address racial violence, policing, mass incarceration, and other symptoms of racism within our society. USD, the Dean’s office, and the DLT recognize this is an individual choice and ask that you do not penalize students or other faculty for participating in the #ScholarStrike in a way that suits them best. Here are some suggestions for you:

As an educational leader, to move your thinking into action- we recommend to participate in at least one of these activities:

Check out #ScholarStrike website and Facebook page (mini-lectures are being posted for the next two days) and #ScholarStrike Twitter feed,
Watch this video with Dr. Anthea Butler who initiated the #ScholarStrike and listen to her explanation of its origin, how campuses are organizing teach-ins and actions, and its significance
Read and reflect on the USD Black student letter
USD ally faculty can join AWARE- a faculty ally group dedicated to supporting the Black faculty at USD in areas of: anti-racism training, protocols for racist speech and harassment, reducing Black faculty workload, increasing BIPOC student recruitment, increasing Black recruitment and hiring practices (email rjez@sandiego.edu for more information
Integrate Dena Simmon’s (2020) anti-racism pedagogies into your course
Add to the DLT #BLM Social Justice and Advocacy Series Padlet on Anti-racism: https://padlet.com/edlib/antiracism
Sign up to assist in planning a DLT #BLM Social Justice and Advocacy Series event for one of the themes we will be developing: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tB0EQt8DlckPTv3iT3GEf3U2ONvps3ClJ9sdHa43yqs/edit?usp=sharing
1. September-Anti-racism
2. October- Political Action
3. November- Coping Mechanisms and Healing
4. February- Forgiveness vs. Revenge
5. March- Intersectionality
6. April- Empathy and Compassion
Attend and encourage your students to attend the Anti-Racism Reading Discussion on 9/25
1. RSVP: https://forms.gle/i1nrZXH9tT8xBWYQ6
2. Review Articles for the Event:
  1. Is This the Beginning of the End of American Racism?- Ibram X. Kendi The Atlantic
  2. Black Lives Matter Is Part of a Global Struggle Against Oppression Antonia Darder/Bill Fletcher Jr. Jacobin Magazine
  3. Cornel West on this moment of “escalating consciousness” and the need for radical democracy Interview with Cornel West Salon
Resources you may want to check out:
1. https://digital.sandiego.edu/soles-faculty/6/
2. https://digital.sandiego.edu/soles-faculty/7/

We encourage you to share your thoughts and actions you are doing to move your work (teaching, research, and/or service) with others by:

post on the DLT #BLM Padlet — https://padlet.com/edlib/antiracism “What examples of anti-racism/anti-Blackness have you experienced or witnessed at USD?”
engage with your personal circle work to encourage dialogue about what society can do