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June 13, 2022
Read
This article details the backlash that teacher Melissa Statz received after teaching a lesson on racism/BLM shortly after an incident in neighboring town Kenosha, WI in which police shot a man in the back. Unfortunately, I expected the parental outrage that occurred once they found out about this lesson. I know parents in my community that would likely exhibit similar responses. The threats and insults that Statz received on social media from parents were horrendous, and it seems very believeable that the school district attempted to take a neutral position at first instead of defending Statz. Some points that stuck out to me from the article as important were the fact that black students came to Statz after the lesson and thanked her for bringing up the discussion of racism. Also, it stood out to me when Stantz said "If I was teaching this in Chicago, it wouldn’t be making the same impact as it does here," because teaching the same lesson in an extremely heterogenous environment may bring about discussions or initiate thought processes that otherwise might not occur. This article also made me reflect on my own fears of receiving repercussions for teaching anything that parents or other members of the community/school system do not approve of. So far, I have incorporated elements of history such as ancient mesoamerican civilizations, minority languages and cultures in Spain/Spanish Civil War, etc. and have received support, not backlash from parents.

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Residents of Wisconsin town near Kenosha in uproar over teacher’s racism lesson

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She wanted her fourth grade class to understand systemic racism. Parents said she was indoctrinating their children and wanted her fired.

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June 14, 2022
Watch
I came across this TikTok rather than searching it out intentionally but felt the need to reflect on it. Alexis Nikole Nelson is a TikToker known as the Black Forager who shares her knowledge of plants and foraging. In this video, she responded to a comment of someone criticizing her for bringing up race. Her response educated me on some things I had never considered before. Firstly, she explains that enslaved people and indigenous people shared knowledge of plants and foraging in order to better sustain themselves, but that after emancipation many laws were put into place to outlaw foraging outside personal property. Her interest in foraging then, in part seems to be an act of historical defiance and reconnection to ancestral knowledge. Furthermore, she explained how it felt growing up often being the only black kid interested in outdoor activities, frequently being made fun of and ostracized. She stated that many black people today are not interested in outdoor activities likely due to generational trauma, as for many decades being outside was dangerous for black people and lynchings occurred. These points that she raised were historical and social connections that I had never considered.

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June 15, 2022
Notice
On Debby Irving's website under Notice, there is an opportunity to reflect on the Continuum on Becoming an Anti-Racist, Multicultural Institution. On this document, there is a chart that shows the characteristics of an institution ranging from monocultural to multicultural to anti-racist to anti-racist multicultural. I chose TMS-M (the school that I work at) to reflect on as an institution. I believe that based on the characteristics listed on the chart, that my school is somewhere between a 5 and 6, or becoming anti-racist and multicultural. The evidence that I see to support this is that my school reflects diversity (in gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.) in terms of leadership and faculty as well as the student body. Diversity and cultural differences are not only tolerated, but celebrated. It is part of my attitude as a teacher to view the diverse backgrounds of my students as an advantage, not a disatvantage, in the world language classroom. The other teachers reflect this attitude as well. As an IB world school, students are required to study a world language, engage in project-based learning and community service, etc. This reflects the "sense of restored community and mutual caring" that exists under the 6th category on the continuum. However, I do feel that our school could continue to improve on becoming actively anti-racist and multicultural by "allying with others in combating all forms of social oppression" through more engagement in issues in the community/society at large. Additionally, although I feel that the faculty at my school reflects people of all backgrounds taking part to form anti-racist policies and practices/restructure aspects of the school to include everyone, that students should be more involved in these discussions.

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June 16, 2022
Connect
On Debby Irving's website under Connect, I found useful resources to connect to via social media. Among these was one that caught my interest, called The Conscious Kid. I went to my personal Instagram and followed this account, realizing that many of my friends were following it as well. The account provides a mix of infographics related to social justice issues, videos, and children's books reflecting diversity. Some of these books I have read and taught when I worked with CDF Freedom School (such as All Are Welcome Here, The Day You Begin, etc.). One post that stood out to me was a worksheet that had pictures of girls and boys with a problem asking to write the number of girls and boys as fractions. The child wrote the fractions of children with long and short hair instead, explaining beneath that it is not possible to tell who is a girl and boy based on the pictue alone. Although this is just one question on a worksheet, it does force me to be mindful in the future when giving assignments, because falling into gender stereotypes of what a boy or girl should look like is harmful and does not reflect the diversity of my students and their gender expression. It additionally does not leave any room for non-bibary students. I definitely look forward to receiving new book recommendations through this account, which I may be able to add to my classroom library. I also look forward to reading more of the informational graphics to continue educating myself on social justice issues.

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The Conscious Kid is an education, research and policy organization that supports families and educators in taking action to disrupt racism, inequity and bias

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June 17, 2022
Listen
This podcast, entitled Mockingbird in the Classroom: the Student Experience, is a follow up to a previous podcast that was made reflecting on the teaching of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird in schools from the perspective of ELA teachers. However, in this podcast, students were interviewed to give their perspective. Some students remember enjoying the book, either because of their teacher's enthusiasm while teaching it or because they related to Scout, but these students were mostly white and additionally do not remember specific details about the plot of the book nor did they remember having any in-depth discussions about race. All black students interviewed remember feeling uncomfortable while reading this book, stating that teachers often said the n word while reading/allowed other students to say it as well, ignored their discomfort and denied opportunities to complete an alternative assignment, and felt too uncomfortable due to the power imbalance between teachers and students to self-advocate and relay their discomfort. This podcast interested me because I remember enjoying the book when my class read it in 9th grade. The fact that I remember enjoying the book, when so many students of color have traumatic/negative memories of it really makes me question why I enjoyed the book and how my race has influenced my learning throughout school. I do not remember my teacher using or allowing any students to use the n word while reading, and I remember watching a documentary about the Scottsboro Boys after reading the book, which opened my eyes to the theme of white women falsely accusing black men throughout American history. Because I learned about these historical themes, I do think that I got something out of the book, but at the same time do not remember my teacher engaging us in any in-depth discussions about racism/white supremacy/whiteness/etc. My takeaway from this podcast is not that the book should be censored, that it is possible to teach it if the teacher is very well-versed and prepared to use it as an oppotunity to talk about race in the classroom, but that it is risky becuase of the possible traumatic impact that it can have on students of color. Therefore, teachers should likely consider other works (specifically works by authors of color) to introduce discussions related to racism in the classroom.

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Episode 15: Mockingbird in the Classroom: The Student Experience - Teaching While White

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As a follow-up from To Teach or To Kill a Mockingbird, in this episode we hear from a group of multiracial students about their experiences reading this iconic novel in school.

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June 18, 2022
Read
I read the essay "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh, which I found under the "Read" section of Debby Irving's website. I have many mixed thoughts about her essay. Firstly, I am a bit surprised that she wrote about this topic, using the term "white privilege" in 1989. Growing up, I do not recall hearing discussions about white privilege; this was not something that I discovered until I was older. I agree with many of the points that she makes, specifically that many of the privileges of being white in the United States are "invisible" in that they exist when we need them regardless of whether we are conscious of it or not. A privilege may be not having to think about being followed in a store or fear being pulled over by police. However, her "Some Notes for Facilitators on Presenting My White Privilege Papers" left me with some questions. She asks the readers not to generalize from her essay, discourages "dialogue" that is often a veiled form of debate, and warns against definitions of "power" and "privilege" as they lack nuance. How can we have discussions about the systemic injustices in our country and the privileges and disadvantages that occur in it without engaging in dialogue or generalizing to some extent? How can we have a conversation at all without defining terms that we can all understand? It seems as though her purpose in writing the essay were to simply have the reader accept her personal testimony, which may not apply to everyone, and reflect on them without engaging in dialogue or questioning it other than to receive clarification of her intent. Despite these questions, I do agree with the majority of what she wrote, including the invisible aspect of privilege and the fact that privileges and disadvantages often exist within an individual's different identities, as shown in the identity wheel.

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June 19, 2022
Watch
This video was linked under the "watch" section of Debby Irving's website. I chose to watch it because I thought it would be interesting to see a trans person's perspective of privilege before and after her transition. Paula's experiences and testimony reinforce the ideas that I have heard this week about privilege being invisible to those who benefit from it. It is only once those privileges are taken away that one is able to notice. I also liked how at the end she acknowledged that life can be difficult as a trans woman, but she questioned what privileges she still benefits from being white in comparison to her brown-skinned daughter and daughter-in-law. I think Paula is a great example of someone who, despite all of the disadvantages and struggles she has gone through, still has the self-awareness and empathy to question how she can use her privilege to help elevate others.

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I've lived as a man & a woman -- here's what I learned | Paula Stone Williams | TEDxMileHigh

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June 20, 2022
Listen
The All My Relations podcast is hosted by Matika Wilbur and Adrienne Keene, both indigenous women. This episode, entitled "Protect Indigenous Women," also included Abigail Echo-Hawk and Mary Katherine Nagle. I chose to listen to this podcast because I knew that MMIW (missing and murdered indigenous women) continues to be a huge crisis today, but did not know about the systemic issues that contribute to it. Listening to this podcast opened my eyes to various systemic issues in the U.S. that allow the mistreatment and murder/disappearance of indigenous women in this country to continue. One such issue is the 1978 Supreme Court case Oliphant v. Squamish Indian Tribe, which outlawed native tribes from having jurisdiction over crimes committed by non-native people. Because the majority of rapes that are committed against indigenous women are by non natives, this ruling inhibited many women from seeking justice. Furthermore, negative stereotypes of indigenous people have contributed to a lack of urgency on the part of law enforcement in investigating missing or murdered indigenous women. Many law enforcement officers assume that indigenous girls are runaways or got drunk and are not in danger. One of the women who spoke in this podcast is an attorney, and noted that she is not allowed to disclose information about many families she has advocated for because the local sherrifs and officers are friends with the suspected murderers or assaultants. This is connected to another issue, which is that the lack of trust of local law enforcement dissuades indegenous women from reporting assaults, then causing law enforcement to underestimate the problem. Upon collecting information from law enforcement agencies across the country, one woman in the podcast noted issues with information that was lacking in comparison to information that they found. For example, when the ethnicity of a murder victim was unknown, many times they were marked as white in the database. My heart broke while listening to this podcast because my overall takeaway from it is that there are so many systemic issues (historical/cultural, legislative, local, etc.) that have perpetuated the abuse, rape, murder, and injustice of indigenous women in this country that most Americans are not even aware of. In the future, I would like to stay more vigilant and educated about legislation related to protecting indigenous women so that I can vote in a way that helps break down these issues.

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June 21, 2022
Engage
I completed a webinar called "Let's Talk! Discussing Gender in the Classroom." I discovered this webinar through the Learning For Justice website, which provides teachers with many resources to educate themselves and students about social issues such as race, religion, LGBT+ identities, etc. This webinar was created by a collaboration of Gender Spectrum and Teaching Tolerance (affiliated with the Southern Poverty Law Center). Having struggled with my identity and experienced negative repercussions because of it at school and home and being an LGBT+ educator now, I find it extremely important to educate myself so that I can help LGBT+ students receive a better, more inclusive education that is as safe and free from harrassment/bullying as possible. I chose this webinar because despite being LGBT+ myself, I am not an expert and know that there are many experiences (such as trans and non-binary folks) that I cannot identify with. There were a few points that were brought up by the hosts of this webinar that I found to be important. For example, I was unaware that gender support plans exist to help trans/gender non-binary or non-conforming students. Having a student that identifies as such sit down with their parents, teachers, and administrators to put together a plan can help establish what the student needs and how it should be communicated. Another important point that was brought up was that students may need privacy when discussing their identity with teachers and administrators if their parents are not affirming. Lastly, a quote from the webinar stuck with me: "When someone with the authority of a teacher describes the world and you are not in it, there is a moment of psychic disequilibrium, as if you looked into a mirror and saw nothing." (Adrienne Rich). This quote shows how important representation is in the classroom for students of all races, genders, ethnicities, religions, etc. What message are we sending to our students if we show them a world that does not include them?

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Teaching Tolerance proudly presents our four-part webinar series Let's Talk! This series covers a range of critical topics that can be difficult to discuss with students and colleagues. For this third part in the series, Teaching Tolerance and Gender Spectrum are teaming up to help educators think beyond the gender binary and to create gender-inclusive classrooms. This interactive webinar will examine thought-provoking case studies and explore best practices.

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Let's Talk! Discussing Gender in the Classroom

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Teaching Tolerance proudly presents our four-part webinar series Let's Talk! This series covers a range of critical topics that can be difficult to discuss with students and colleagues. For this third part in the series, Teaching Tolerance and Gender Spectrum are teaming up to help educators think beyond the gender binary and to create gender-inclusive classrooms. This interactive webinar will examine thought-provoking case studies and explore best practices.

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June 22, 2022
Notice
I took an IAT (Implicit Association Test) on religion. The results concluded that I show a moderate preference for Christianity over Judaism. On a conscious level, I would strongly disagree with the results and say that in fact I prefer Judaism to Christianity for many reasons, but I understand the subconcsious/implicit reasons that could explain my results. Having been raised in a conservative sect of Christianity and then deconverting, I knew that the results could sway either way- showing a preference toward Christianity due to increased exposure and familiarity, or toward Judaism due to personal beliefs and reasons which led to my deconversion. Despite considering myself fairly knowlegeable about both religions, living in the south means living in a Christian bubble. Aside from a few students and distant relatives I have who are Jewish, I really do not interact with many Jewish people. No one likes to have their biases pointed out, but there is always the opportunity for improvement and self-betterment. Maybe I could visit a synagogue one day!

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June 23, 2022
Notice
I took an IAT (Implicit Association Test) on sexuality. The results concluded that I had a moderate preference for Gay people over Straight people. Although I am gay, this surprised me. This is because I completed the test without any mistakes, so I expected more neutral results. In the results of the IAT I took on religion, I rationalized my preference for Christianity over Judaism by my increased exposure, upbringing, environment, etc. If this is the case, then why did I not show a preference for Straight people, as I have been exposed to "straightness" and heteronormativity my entire life? I wonder if my subconscious related the negative words in the test with negative experiences in my life, and if it related the positive words in the test with myself. After taking these tests, I will try to notice when these biases might occur in my everyday life.

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June 24, 2022
Act
Today I had a conversation with one of my best friends from high school (white, female) about my experience so far in the 21 day challenge. I talked to her about the podcast that I listened to relating to the teaching of To Kill a Mockingbird and asked about her memories of the book in high school. She had a similar experience as me (remembers enjoying the book and at least discussing the issues of race at some level in the classroom). However, we both talked about whether our experiences were different to that of our other peers because we are white and were not impacted by the trauma of racism in the book. I additionally talked to her about the crisis of MMIW, which she was unaware of. I told her some statistics and systemic issues that I learned while listening to the podcast All My Relations. Lastly, we talked about how to deal with conflicts between family and friends when political views differ as well as some thoughts on what defunding police could look like. Overall, it was a very respectful but important conversation, which I feel "interrupted the pattern of white silence" as stated in Debby Irving's website.

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June 25, 2022
Connect
Today, I connected to many social media accounts in order to educate myself about the consequences of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The accounts that I have followed that are local, such as @yellowfund (Yellowhammer Fund) have posts which explain how black women are 4 times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than white women. This statistic shows who the most vulnerable demographic that will be affected by this decision is, which highlights the importance of intersectionality when fighting for social justice. The account also posts information about local events and protests, one of which I plan to attend tomorrow.

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The Yellowhammer Fund is a 501(c)3 abortion advocacy and reproductive justice organization serving Alabama, Mississippi, and the Deep South. We envision a society in which reproductive decisions are made free from coercion, shame, or state interference, a society in which individuals and communities have autonomy in making healthy choices regarding their bodies and their futures. We commit ourselves to community education and empowerment, policy advocacy, and the development of systems of mutual aid to ensure that our friends, families, and neighbors never go without the things they need.

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The Yellowhammer Fund envisions a society in which reproductive decisions are made free from coercion, shame, or state interference, a society in which individuals and communities have autonomy in making healthy choices regarding their bodies and their futures. We commit ourselves to community educa

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June 26, 2022
Act
Today I drove to Birmingham to attend a pro-choice protest in Kelly Ingram Park in light of the recent Supreme Court Decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. I made a sign stating "BODILY AUTONOMY IS A HUMAN RIGHT" and stood in the park listening to women (and some men) speak and give testimonies in front of the crowd. Then, we marched down the street and stood in front of the Jefferson County Court House to continue protesting and chanting. This was the most recent of three protests that have occurred in Birmingham since the decision was made Friday, the first of which was a smaller protest in Five Points. Viewing public responses and comments of the Five Points Protest, I noticed that many people made fun of the number of people that attended. Even though being part of a protest feels good, at the same time I don't understand the full scope of how marching down the street with a poster can effect any change. However, there is strength in numbers, and contributing to the size of a protest can show legislators and others the amount of people that do care. Also, some of the women leading the protest thanked men for joining in solidarity with them. This reflects how important it is for anyone who has power or privilege to use it to help those being marginalized, whether the issue affects us or not. At many points during the march, it was mentioned that black women will be most affected by this decision, or that LGBT+ rights are next to be stripped away. This reflects the importance of intersectionality in activism.

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June 27, 2022
Watch
I chose to watch a TedTalk by Stella Young entitled "I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much" because I do not come in contact with or hear the perspectives of disabled people very often. Aside from her humor, I enjoyed listening to Stella's talk because she speaks truth about disabled people being objectified through what she calls "inspiration porn," in which people with disabilities are praised for simply existing in their normal bodies. Furthermore, this type of inspiration porn, which may show a disabled person playing a sport or doing a task, often leads non-disabled people to believe that they are lucky for "not having it as bad" and distracting from the real issues that disabled people face daily: not their bodies, but a society that is not built for them. Stella noted that she is inspired by people with disabilities not learning that she is luckier than them, but learning the tools that they use to live in a world that objectifies them. In the future, I would like to learn more about how I can make my classroom more accessible for all students as well as learn more about disabilities in general so that I do not fall into the lie of perceiving disability as a "Bad Thing" like Stella states.

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Stella Young: I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much

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Stella Young is a comedian and journalist who happens to go about her day in a wheelchair - a fact that doesn't, she'd like to make clear, automatically turn her into a noble inspiration to all humanity. In this very funny talk, Young breaks down society's habit of turning disabled people into "inspiration porn."

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June 28, 2022
Engage
Today I went to a local halal grocery store because I needed a special type of Indian flour for something I wanted to cook. One of the things that I miss about living in Birmingham is the diversity of restaurants and grocery stores. I was unaware that Tuscaloosa had a halal grocery store, so I was excited to find it. I did not find exactly what I was looking for but picked up some other items instead to support the local business and spoke to the cashier in Arabic. I like trying to practice my language skills when I can, but sometimes I get nervous to practice in front of native speakers/strangers. I will try to go back to the store sometime and speak more. I find that it often makes people happy when you try to speak to them in their native language.

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Mediterranean Market and Restaurant - Tuscaloosa, AL

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Delivery & Pickup Options - 9 reviews of Mediterranean Market and Restaurant "Very good portions and prices on the plates. The food is made to order and fresh so it can take a while to get your food especially if it's busy, but you can call your orders ahead so they have it ready when you arrive.

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June 29, 2022
Engage
I registered for an webinar called "Reframe and Refresh: Racial Solidarity," co-hosted by Jon Osaki, Leann Dance, and Keisha Rembert. Osaki and Dance are film directors of Reparations and My Dear Children, respectively, and Rembert is a professor at National Louis University. I chose to register for the webinar because it has to do with using film to raise awareness for racial solidarity in the classroom setting. My Dear Children tells the history of the pogroms, or organized massacres of Jewish people in Eastern Europe leading up to WWII, which I knew nothing about. Jon Osaki talked about the solidarity that has existed between the Asian American community and the African American community throughout history, African Americans supporting reparations for Japanese Americans after internment. He supports political organizations fighting for modern day reparations for African Americans that have never been made as promised, and his movie goes into more detail about what that might look like. As an educator, Keisha mentioned that to deal with the heavy issues of racism and stories of struggle in the classroom, it is equally important to share empowering stories of victory- to share all perspectives of human emotion. Although I learned a lot from this webinar discussion, I wish they had gone into more detail about how to foster solidarity in the classroom or how to use their films to accomplish that. I would love to watch many of the films on their organization's website, but purchasing streaming access to show their films in the classroom would be very expensive.

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reframe and refresh: radical solidarity tickets

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Eventbrite - New Day Films presents Reframe and Refresh: Radical Solidarity - Wednesday, June 29, 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

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June 30, 2022
Read
I chose to read this article entitled "Why BIPOC Is An Inadequate Acronym" for a few different reasons. Firstly, advocates and allies of social justice often latch onto new trends and verbage without questioning how and who originated them. I think that, when it comes to social justice, making sure the language that refers to marginalized groups is created or approved by the people it refers to is important. Secondly, I was intrigued by the article because BIPOC is an acronym that I did not notice until shortly after the political movement surrounding George Floyd in 2020. The author of the article disapproves of the term BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) because it lumps all those identities together as if they have the same shared experiences, which she says they do not. For example, black and indigenous people experience severe overrepresentation in the prison systems, whereas Asians do not. She states that the term allows "the collective experiences of Black people and Indigenous people to be collected and spread like a cloak across all people of colour, because of the benefit proximity to the Black experience has for them in this current racial revolution." I agree with her assessment of the term and think that a better alternative would be to simple address the specific identities of the people being referred to "Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latin American, etc." instead of using a blanket term. When appropriate, "people of color" can be used to refer to all non-white people. However, the author of the article states that she is tired of being erased and her experience not being reflected. For this reason, I have learned that identity-specific terms are preferred to more general terms.

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I just can't understand why grouping such distinct identities together is necessary-or how it could be beneficial to any of the identities in question. It turns out I'm not alone.

The first time I heard the term BIPOC, someone I was chatting with casually dropped it in our conversation. As a Black woman, my body had a physical reaction. I froze, my stomach turned and I got hot all at once. I thought 'Bi-what?' and asked for an explanation. I was aghast to hear that it stood for "Black, Indigenous, people of colour." I could not understand why grouping such distinct identities was necessary and how it could be beneficial to any of the identities in question. It turns out I'm not alone. Every Black person I have informally spoken to has expressed either confusion at the meaning of the acronym or downright anger at its use. Not clear why? Well, to be honest, I had a hard time explaining my strong reaction, other than I hated it. So I decided to ask two experts.

Kike Ojo-Thompson is a principal consultant at Kojo Institute -an equity consultancy with expertise in anti-racism, anti-Black racism and anti-oppression framework-in Toronto. Rhonda C. George is a PhD candidate in sociology at York University, whose research focuses on race and racialization in regard to gender, sports, education and popular culture. Here's what they had to say about why BIPOC doesn't work-and what term we should be using instead.

Where does the term BIPOC come from?

KOT: "Here's what I know to be true about what happened with this acronym. BIPOC was first articulated and popularized in the U.S. Canadians weren't saying BIPOC, and this is another example of American populism impacting us here. In other words, our proximity-and American centrism-makes it so that their articulation of things becomes in many ways centralized.
[Americans] weren't using 'racialized' as much as we were using it in Canada. Another example is anti-Black racism. Americans weren't talking about anti-Black racism as much. I have found the scholarship, articulation and discourse of race and racism in Canada to be different [than in the U.S.].''
There have been so many terms to describe Black people over decades: Negro, African American/African Canadian, people of colour and now BIPOC. Why do these terms shift?
RG: "I think these shifts in language and the terms we use to identify people of African descent largely attempt to define Black people in a way that knits them together as a group and political identity. These various terms also reflect the social and political climates in which they are used, and their appropriateness and usage also shift based on linguistic and geographical context. Each iteration appears to refine a previously used term. BIPOC seems to be another attempt to refine and define, with a focus on solidarity among non-white racial and ethnic groups."
Why do so many Black people dislike this term?
What it does... potentially inadvertently, is that by lumping all these groups together, it comes across as-and suggests-that we are having the same experience. So the acronym BIPOC fails to articulate the differential ways that racialized people experience race and racism. An example of this is within the criminal justice system in Canada. When you look at those rates as an example...it is powerful.You have Indigenous people, with gross overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, the second [most-overrepresented group] is Black people. Other 'people of colour' are actually not even represented, or not represented proportionally in the prison system. So, if you were to use BIPOC as a statistical identifier it would not show the extent to which Indigenous and Black people are overrepresented, it would average it out. If we lump all people of colour together, you would not see the gross disparity in our experience, as non-white people, in the data. If the word BIPOC is supposed to stand for non-white people, it suggests a shared experience amongst racialized people. It makes the situation of our disparate experiences seem much less and far less problematic. It also erases the ways that non-Black, non-Indigenous people can act in anti-Black and anti-Indigenous ways."
KOT: "Using the acronym BIPOC suggests an interchangeability in being Black or a person of colour (i.e. South Asian, Korean, Chinese, etc.). There is no interchangeability.

RG: "I think it is imperative to question if BIPOC is being used to conceal a discomfort with using Black, while terms like "people of colour" are perceived as as a less pejorative or offensive term to white people. Are we afraid that focusing on Blackness directly and unapologetically will scare or offend people and therefore, make them care less and be less likely to support the cause? If that's the case, wouldn't that further suggest that one has a keen awareness of where Black people are positioned in the social strata and demonstrate the urgent need for a specific focus on the experiences and needs of Black communities?"
RG: "The appropriateness of BIPOC is definitely contextual/context specific, but it is more clear to be specific about the group you are referring to. If you're talking about Black people, just say Black."
So, what's the better term?

KOT: "Instead of using BIPOC, the other option when talking about people who aren't white, is racialized -in terms of who it describes, Black, Indigenous, people of colour. Indigenous people are racialized by white people even though they are Indigenous to the land, but they are being racialized by white people to define them. What BIPOC does not do is capture that verb, that something is happening to us... the process of being racialized. That is the issue. BIPOC is passive. It's missing the piece that articulates a process of racialization. Racialized is 100 percent the better term."

As far as I'm concerned, racialized is 100 percent the better term. It leaves room to be specific about who you're talking about. If you're talking about Black people, say Black. If you're talking about Indigenous people, say Indigenous. And so on. Recognize our uniqueness, our humanity and our individual experiences. As a Black woman, a Black mother, I am tired of being erased. I am tired of my experience not being reflected. In the wake of this post-George Floyd revolution, spurred by his murder and the many Black people whose lives have been snatched from them due to virulent state-sanctioned anti-Black racism, I will be damned if I allow their experience and the collective experiences of Black people and Indigenous people to be collected and spread like a cloak across all people of colour, because of the benefit proximity to the Black experience has for them in this current racial revolution.

So, BIPOC is not a term that I will ever use-even though it's everywhere, including within the names of businesses and new organizations springing up. It seems too late to put the genie back in the bottle, but I am hopeful that if people take the time to understand and analyze what they are actually saying, then language will change and the absolute gut-wrenching distaste I feel when I hear the acronym BIPOC will go away. Black lives matter. Words matter!

Editor's note: At Chatelaine, we use specific language when referring to specific individuals or issues. When it comes to identifying large groups of people who are not white, we alternate between BIPOC-spelling out "Black people, Indigenous people and people of colour" whenever possible-racialized and people of colour, as decided on a case-by-case basis by the writer and editor. We do not alter language in direct quotations.

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Opinion: Why BIPOC Is An Inadequate Acronym

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I just can't understand why grouping such distinct identities together is necessary-or how it could be beneficial to any of the identities in question. It turns out I'm not alone. The first time I heard the term BIPOC, someone I was chatting with casually dropped it in our conversation.

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July 1, 2022
Listen
Today, I listened to a few songs on Debby Irving's playlists for the 21 Day Challenge Protest & Rebellion. One song, "Solidarity Forever" by Pete Seeger, caught my attention because the woman who led the protest that I attended in Birmingham last week sang it. It goes to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, but is actually a pro-union song. Another song that I listened to is "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye. I have heard this song before many times, but it wasn't until reading the lyrics on Spotify that I realized how much this song has to do with social justice. Many of the lyrics reference police brutality, violence, anti-war sentiment, and even hair discrimination. These songs remind me of the "canciones de protesta" that I learned about in one of my Spanish courses with Dr. Sánchez-López, such as "Clandestino" by Manu Chao or "Revolución" by Amaral. Maybe in the future, I can make my own 21 Day Challenge playlist.

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July 2, 2022
Connect
Today, I searched various social activism/anti-racism accounts on Instagram listed under "Connect" on Debby Irving's website. I followed @whitenonsenseroundup because of the diversity of issues and formatting of posts that are on the account, which intrigued me. One post in particular that caught my attention, explained that the NFL, patriotism, and the military are so closely aligned because the NFL is paid millions of dollars by the Department of Defense. With the amount of controversy over the years that has occurred relating to protesting the national anthem at sporting events (even just a silent kneel), these facts made me realize that connections exist between so many large organizations that most of us do not even realize. Of course I know that private companies and organizations often donate/give money to/influence politicians, but I never thought about departments within the government influencing popular media/sports/etc.

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White Nonsense Roundup (WNR) was created by white people, for white people, to address our inherently racist society. We believe it is our responsibility to call out white friends, relatives, contacts, speakers, and authors who are contributing to structural racism and harming our friends of color. We are a resource for anti-racist images, links, videos, artwork, essays, and voices. These can be used by anyone for a DIY white nonsense roundup, or by the WNR team to support people of color upon their request.

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White Nonsense Roundup | #NOWHITENONSENSE

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White Nonsense Roundup (WNR) was created by white people, for white people, to address our inherently racist society. We believe it is our responsibility to call out white friends, relatives, contacts...

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July 3, 2022
Act
Today, I submitted my voter registration application online since I have changed addresses since voting last. I also went on the American Civil Liberties Union website to send emails to legislators with regard to abolishing ICE and in support of the Abolition Amendment (S.J.Res.21/H.J.Res.53) which would end forced labor in prisons. I learned that the 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except for the punishment of a crime by watching the documentary 13th last year. The documentary opened my eyes to the systemic injustices that exist in our country. I started connecting the dots that, if forced labor is allowed for the punishment of a crime, would there not be incentive to incarcerate more people for free labor? This explains why many companies help fund prisons and why it is referred to as the "prison industrial complex." Prisons in the U.S. are an industry. This is not to mention that prisons incarcerate black and brown people at a disproportionate rate to white people. Learning all this made me want to take action. Although I cannot always attend protests or donate money, I can send messages to my legislators and register to vote for people who will reflect my views in government.

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Since our nation's founding, discriminatory policies and laws have created an unequal system in which Black communities have had their civil rights and liberties denied and have been systemically locked out of opportunities in education, housing, employment, and more.

Through our Systemic Equality agenda, we will use nationwide litigation, advocacy, and public education to advance laws and policies rooted in racial equity and end discriminatory policies, laws, and practices that have an outsized impact on Black communities.

Help us in our fight to ensure all people have equal access to housing, voting rights, education, and more by learning more, pledging your support, or donating. When we have full and equal access to education, jobs, housing, voting rights and more, better futures are possible.

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The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union - beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.

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July 3, 2022
Watch
Today, I watched a video about the history of redlining. Before watching the video, I thought it would be interesting because I know that black people and other people of color often face housing discrimination and difficulties finding loans, but was unsure about the history behind it. The video uses a monopoly game to explain the racist redlining policies of the government and early suburb developers such as William Levitt, whose explicitly prohibited his homes from being occupied by non-white people. The video later explains how the redlining policies caused development in the green areas and poverty and lack of investment in the red areas in addition to exacerbating school segregation. Nowadays, schools are more segregated than they were in the '70s. This information is all very important to me as an educator because this legacy of housing policy inhibits students today from receiving an integrated, multicultural, and well-funded education.

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The Disturbing History of the Suburbs | Adam Ruins Everything

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July 3, 2022
Read
Today, I read a short criticism of the commonly-used equality vs. equity image, in which boys are given boxes to stand on in order to see over the fence to watch the baseball game. The article claims that the image perpetuates white supremacy because it makes the boy's height the issue, making him the problem. The author of the article proposed a different image in which the boys are all the same height but are standing on sloped ground. In this scenario, the people are not the issue but rather they are standing on unequal ground, a circumstance which is not their fault. Initially, I found the author's criticism of this image to be reaching or finding something to complain about unnecessarily. However, I do understand that language matters and for the same reason the people-first language is used when describing disability, or that "enslaved people" is preferred to "slaves", an image depicting the situation a person is in as unjust more accurately describes systems of oppression than a picture that shows a person's height to be the issue.

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We've all seen this picture, right?

In a picture-is-worth-1,000-words kind of way, this image simplifies the profound difference between equality and equity. From this picture people have actually begun to understand that treating everyone equally doesn't lead to equity, and in fact, equal treatment often perpetuates and justifies racial hierarchies. Yes, this picture has taught us a lot.

But, it's time to move on.
This picture -the noble imagery of the equity movement - is white supremacy at work.
Sorry folks. But it's true.

First and foremost, the shortest boy is positioned as the problem. He needs multiple boxes to see over the fence. He's the one who is the pathology: he's literally less than the others. The shortest boy is - by sheer presentation alone - not whole, not normal, especially compared to the tallest boy. And because he is shorter he is seen as the problem, he needs more help. He is by fact, needy.
Dominant and oppressive narratives about people of color bleed into this picture: people of color are less than and thus, need more.
This is white supremacy. This feeds into the oh-so-familiar racist politic - people of color have little to offer, and yet take so many public resources. Heard that before haven't you?

Even those who "center equity" feed into this framework - people of color need our resources because they're too broken to have their own. Volunteered with that organization maybe?

It is high time to rid ourselves of these white supremacy-laden "equity" ideas, and actually recognize the full humanity and capabilities of people of color.

Imagine if you will, 3 people -all the same goddamn size. The ground beneath them slopes, buckling beneath one person so significantly that person cannot see over the fence at all. The foundation on which these people stand is unequal, and that foundation, might we even say systemic, difference leads to some being able to watch the baseball game, while others cannot.

Yes, the person who is on the slope requires a box or two to stand on, but it is only because they are on lower ground to start - not because they are shorter to begin with.

As useful as the picture was in starting conversations around "Equality vs. Equity," we are basically blaming the person for being short, when in reality, we aren't standing on a level playing field to start. We aren't *allowed* to stand on a level playing field.
In fact, we are - by reason of policy, practice, prejudice, and bias - forced to stand on a lower level ... AND then told we should be happy to be near the game at all. All while not given enough boxes to see over the fence.
The unequal ground we are forced to stand on is the aspect of the picture we need to change. Understanding that those boxes are necessary because of the sloping ground is key to undoing white supremacy. With this new picture, let us decolonize the rules of where we stand and why.

That is equity.

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This 'Equity' picture is actually White Supremacy at work

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In a picture-is-worth-1,000-words kind of way, this image simplifies the profound difference between equality and equity. From this picture people have actually begun to understand that treating...

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21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge

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21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge

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This is a link to Debby Irving's 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge. I highly encourage anyone to participate in this challenge who wishes to further educate themself not only on racial justice issues, but all issues concerning equity in society. Participating in this challenge helped me gain a better awareness of systemic issues in society related to race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, religion, and other identity categories.