SOLIDARITY
IN ACTION:
RESISTING
SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION
TEACH IN: Monday, November 26 to Thursday, Nov. 29
Offering
information and analysis to understand the rise of White supremacy and other
systemic oppressions, and strategies, skills, and models of advocacy to resist oppression
in the current time and climate.
Education has always been central to people’s movements for justice and
liberation. Teach ins have a special place in that proud legacy: as sites of
radical, democratic knowledge-sharing crucial to social change and
movement-building. Teach-ins are often conducted according to the principles
of popular education to ensure
accessibility and application for action but, there is no one specific “right”
way to do a teach-in.
NOTES:
We would like to acknowledge the many people
who may be unable to participate in this teach in due to systemic oppressions
that create direct and indirect barriers to accessing education. Barriers to
access are created by, for example, restrictive immigration laws and policies,
detention of asylum seekers, deportation policies, undocumented status,
poverty, imprisonment of political dissidents, and/or restrictions on movement
and education that individuals living under military occupation face (such as
Palestinians residing under Israeli rule (http://right2edu.birzeit.edu/). We stand in solidarity
with those individuals who may be potentially interested in engaging in our
teach in, yet are unable to join us due to these types of systemic oppressions.
Understanding these barriers and the need to take action against systemic
oppression is why spaces like this teach in are necessary to engage our campus
community with these issues.
Where we stand are the traditional homelands of
the Massachusett People, who are the traditional stewards of this place, and
are still with us today. We also acknowledge their near neighbors, the Nipmuc
and Wampanoag Peoples.
|
Monday, Nov. 26 |
2 pm - 4 pm |
McCormack, Ryan
Lounge |
Kick-Off
Event
2-3:50
What is Solidarity? Walking your Talk
Patricia Kruger-Henney, Leadership in
Education and Center for Innovative Teaching
Members of the Solidarity in Action
Teach In organizing committee Sofya Aptekar, Sarah Mayorga-Gallo, Ping-Ann
Addo, Mona Abo-Zena, and Karen Suyemoto
Come
together over a meal for an interactive discussion focused on the meanings of
solidarity in action. This will become the base to develop a plan for how to
walk your talk. As Audre Lorde says, “There is no hierarchy of oppression”;
this means that resistance requires coalition, community building, and
strategic collective action. Come explore the connection of this to your life,
our communities, and actions for resistance.
Tues., Nov. 27 |
9:30 am - 8 pm |
CC 2545 (unless
indicated) |
9:30-10:45 Illicit Bodies: The Intersection of Anti-Abortion and Anti-Immigrant Policies
Shoshanna Ehrlich,
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
This session showcases the Trump
administration’s concurrent attacks on immigrants and abortion rights by
considering the recent case of Garza v. Hargan where the federal government
argued that authorizing the release of a young undocumented teen migrant from
the federal detention center where she was being held would (in the words of
Justice Kavanaugh) create a “new right” of “immediate abortion on demand,”
casting her body as doubly illicit.
11-12:15 Exploring the Psychological Effects of Rape Culture and Movements for Resistance, Solidarity, and Action
Deb
Cohen, UHS Counseling Center; Jessie Quintero Johnson, Communication
What are the psychological and social effects
of rape culture? How does systemic oppression shape self-concept? The purpose
of this interactive workshop is to examine the mental health effects of rape
culture and to explore recent efforts aimed at fostering resistance. We will
consider how movements, such as #metoo, #safetytipsforladies, and the Women’s
March, offer models for solidarity in action in both the broader culture and
our local communities.
12:30-1:40 Is some Speech Freer than Other? Engaging Power and Privilege in Difficult Dialogues
Tahirah Abdullah, Psychology; Rajini Srikanth,
English and Honors College; Karen Suyemoto, Psychology and Transnational
Cultural and Community Studies
Rather than talking about equal rights to
voice, or overly simplistic “democratic” engagement in discussions, this
session addresses how power and privilege affect engagement in difficult
dialogues, particularly when participants experience different positions in
relation to privilege and oppression. We will explore the goals of engaging in
these dialogues, meanings of free speech, and practical strategies for engaging
in difficult dialogues. Sponsored by the Center for Innovative Teaching.
2-3:15 Indigenous Music Videos as Movement Building
Ping-Ann Addo,
Anthropology and Center for Innovative Teaching; Chris Fung, Anthropology
Stories of indigenous struggle, resistance, and
solidarity come in many forms. This is an experimental session where we will
explore the consciousness-raising outcome of consuming art and activism
collectively, in real time -- what does this do to the space, and the spirit?
Videos will be chosen for their intersectional approach to native histories and
issues, including race, class, gender, age cohort, and living the struggle for
land rights. Sponsored by the Center for Innovative Teaching.
3:30-4:45 Women of Color Organizing, Solidarity, and Wellness
Jeannette
Mejia, Mirlande Thermidor, and Ashley Torres, Transnational Cultural and
Community Studies; Anusha Satturu, Organizations for Social Change; Savitha
Rajamani, Leadership in Higher Education; Shilpa Thirukkovalur, Psychology and
Honors; Ester Shapiro, Psychology and Transnational Cultural and Community
Studies
How do we create Women of Color collective
identities grounded in unique lived experiences at intersections of gender,
race, ethnicity, immigration status, social class or caste? How do shared
connections support activist consciousness, political organizing and
personal/collective wellness? Our dialogue will foster participant empowerment and
solidarity, highlighting how gendered lived experiences inspire cross-community
connections and shared identities supporting personal wellness and social
justice activism.
5-6:15 FEATURED SESSION: Racial and Gender Equity in
Unions:
My Union will be Intersectional
or it will be Bullshit Location: Alumni Lounge (CC 2-2251)
Sofya Aptekar and Linda
Liu, Caucus for a Democratic Union; Michelle Corbin and John Flowers,
Massachusetts State College Association; Katsyris Rivera-Kientz, Graduate
Employee Organization
Too
often our unions fail to take up the issues of racial and gender equity or even
reproduce inequalities and marginalization. How do we fight to center the
struggle for racial and gender justice within the labor movement?
6:30 - 7:45 FEATURED SESSION: Disability Rights as Civil Rights
Mass ADAPT Location: Alumni Lounge (CC-2-2251)
ADAPT is a national grassroots disability rights
group whose members have been engaging in direct action advocacy for
thirty-five years. Members of the Boston-area chapter, MassADAPT, will discuss
their struggle – including the use of nonviolent direct action -- to assure the
civil and human rights of people with disabilities.
|
Wed., Nov. 28 |
9am - 7pm |
CC
2545 (unless indicated) |
9-9:50 Disrupting White Supremacy: Understanding the Roots
Keira O’Donovan and
Ryan Parigoris, Psychology; Sarah Mayorga-Gallo, Sociology
Relying
on Dr. Camara Jones’ “Gardener’s Tale” metaphor and framework, this workshop
will explore White supremacy—both covert and overt. We will also discuss
strategies that White people use to evade discussions of White supremacy in
everyday life. This session provides the foundation for the following session’s
action-oriented exercises.
10-10:50 Disrupting White Supremacy: Planting Seeds
of Change
Keira O’Donovan and
Ryan Parigoris; Sarah Mayorga-Gallo, Sociology
This
action-oriented and discussion-based workshop builds on participants’ prior
knowledge of the meanings and structures of White supremacy. We will focus on
working collaboratively to construct a multi-level action plan for disrupting
White supremacy in their lives, prompting participants to interrogate what they
ask of themselves and others.
11-11:50 Palestine Liberation
and BDS
Rajini Srikanth,
English and Faculty/Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP); Heike Schotten,
Political Science and FSJP
This
session explains what the international Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)
movement is with respect to justice for Palestine, why it came about, and what
its demands are. It presents the challenges as well as the potential of BDS in
the long struggle for Palestinian liberation.
12-12:50 Climate Justice: Connecting Climate Impacts
to our Social Justice Movements
Rebecca Herst, Sustainable Solutions Lab
Climate change is disproportionately impacting
marginalized communities. From asthma and health to climate migration, those
hurt the most are those with fewer resources to bounce back. Come learn more
about how climate change is projected to impact Greater Boston and tools for
identifying intersections between climate change and other issues to increase
solidarity and political power.
1-1:50 Solidarity Across Ranks
Sofya Aptekar and Joe
Ramsey, Faculty Staff Union and Caucus for a Democratic Union; Myles Green,
Chris Whynacht, and Juan Pablo Blanco, Graduate Employee Organization; Randy Albelda,
Economics
In the neoliberal university, tenure track
faculty, non-tenure track faculty, and graduate student employees are all
workers. However, these workers are often pitted against each other by
university management. This session focuses on organizing and solidarity across
ranks in the context of growing inequalities in universities that undermine
educational mission and social justice.
2-2:50 Challenging Racial and Gender Bias in
Wikipedia
Tina Mullens and Jessica Holden, Healey Library
In
this session, presenters will share examples of and data about racial and
gender bias in Wikipedia articles. Participants will discuss Wikipedia bias
with the goal of diversifying article content, and receive resources on editing
Wikipedia articles and sample lesson plans for classroom instruction.
3-3:50 Faculty supporting DACA, TPS, and
Undocumented Students
Tim Sieber, Anthropology; Natalicia Tracy, Labor Studies,
Sociology, and Brazilian Worker Center
The
goals of this presentation and dialogue are to examine:
1) How UMB is an immigrant university; 2) How DACA and TPS immigration
classifications affect students; 3) How the currently hostile political
environment impacts students; and, especially, 4) How faculty can be supportive
teachers, mentors and advisors to ALL immigrant students.
4-4:50 Science for the People Location: Alumni Lounge (CC 2-2251)
Connie Chow, Honors
College, Honors 295 Beyond the Bench: Scientists as Activists; Peter Taylor, Science
for the People
Science for the People is a grassroots
collective of STEM workers and a magazine that advocates that
science and technology should be for the benefit of the people and planet. This
session engages the critical analysis of capitalism, militarism, genetic
determinism and the historical and current activism of Science for the People,
both of which are particularly relevant in these times of science
denialism and increased social and political participation by
scientist-citizens.
5-5:50 Empowerment and Identity Formation in Boston’s South Asian
Neighborhood
Jyoti Sinha, Sociology Location: Alumni Lounge (CC 2-2251)
The South Asian Workers’ Center (SAWC) is a Boston-based
community organization that supports and empowers diverse working-class
immigrant communities facing race, gender, and class-based oppression.
Learn how SAWC builds solidarities across groups and promotes ally
collaboration.
6-6:50 FEATURED SESSION: Dreams Within: in Conversation with the
Freedom Through Art Collective Location: University Hall
Gallery, UH First Floor, 1220
Megan Smith and Rachel
Corey, Freedom Through Art Collective; Sam Toabe, Gallery Director of the
University Hall Gallery
How can people maintain their humanity within a punitive system designed
to dehumanize them? Dreams
Within is a group exhibition organized by the Freedom Through Art Collective (FTAC)
presenting works by 26 incarcerated artists from across the United States, many
of whom use art as a meditative healing practice while serving sentences in
prison. Sponsors: Paul Hayes Tucker Fund with contributions from the following UMass
Boston Departments: Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Political Science;
Art; Philosophy; Psychology; Performing Arts; and American Studies.
Wednesday Associated events:
4-4:50
Know Your Rights Workshop
Andrew Leong, sponsored by the Student Immigrant Alliance CC 3-3545
4-4:50
Countering Invisibility: Re-imaging Gendered Reflections
Sponsored by Curriculum & Instruction and Women’s, Gender, and
Sexuality Studies CC Ballroom B
|
Thurs., Nov. 29 |
9:30am - 6 pm |
CC
2545 (unless
indicated) |
9:30-10:45 Sex and Gender: Deconstructing Categories McCormack,
1-210
Elliot
Marrow, Clinical Psychology
“Heterosexuality: an
abnormal or perverted appetite towards the opposite sex” (Dorland’s Medical
Dictionary, 1901). Categories we use today for gender and sexuality have not
always been what they are now. How did we create them? How have other times and
places viewed gender and sexuality? This presentation uses historical accounts
and modern interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the construction of
gender and sex.
11-12:15 Color of Mental Health
Natalie Arbid, Samantha Duterville, Jeannette Mejia,
Shannon Hughley, Thanh Nguyen, UMB-UR Best
The goal of this session is to provide students
with information about the impact of race-based discrimination on mental health
(e.g., well-being, finding culturally sensitive therapists), provide
information on on-campus resources, and destigmatize the health consequences of
discrimination.
12:30-1:45 Development vs. Gentrification: Exploring UMB’s Impacts on and Responsibility to Harbor Point and the Greater Boston Community
Anneta Argyres, Labor
Resource Center; Bryan Balvaneda, Clinical Psychology
One person's development is another's
gentrification. In this session we'll take a dive into looking at how this
issue is playing out in Harbor Point as UMB makes plans for the Bayside
property, including reviewing how recent developments and proposed changes
highlight concerns for the communities UMB neighbors.
2-3:15 FEATURED SESSION: The Lessons of NoDAPL: Reflections on
Indigenous
Homelands in
Crisis and the Potential for Ongoing Solidarity
Cedric Woods (Lumbee),
Director, Institute for New England Native American Studies; Jennifer Weston
(Hunkpapa Lakota, Enrolled citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe), Director,
Mashpee Wampanoag Language Department; Carolyn Wong, Researcher, Institute for
Asian American Studies; Renata Teodoro, UMB Student Advocacy Coordinator; Bob
Master, Dan Luker, and Jeff Brummer, Veterans for Peace; Barbara Lewis,
Director of the Trotter Institute for the Study of Black Culture; Maria John,
History
Indigenous Peoples, both the Lakota/Dakota for
whom Standing Rock is their homeland and those from much further away, might
have been expected to show up and oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline. However,
what happened was a much more complex coalition of water
protectors/environmental activists. Some members of these coalitions and/or
scholars who work with them will share insights gained from the action and what
means for solidarity in future efforts.
3:30-4:45 FEATURED SESSION:
Dismantling Misconceptions about our Undocumented and Immigrant Communities
The Student Immigrant
Alliance Club
Join us in a conversation about common
misconceptions within the immigrant community, i.e.: immigrants are here to
steal your jobs, and learn about what you can do to help support our
immigrant community at UMB.
4:30-5:45 FEATURED SESSION: STEMinist
Studio Location:
Alumni Lounge (CC 2-2251)
Connie Chow, Honors College; Gail Burton, Emerson College
This interactive workshop uses theater
techniques and facilitated dialogue to invite participants to share their
positive and limiting stories and experiences of science, and to collectively
envision what an inclusive, decolonized science might look like. Wear
comfortable clothes.
Sponsors:
Transnational Cultural and Community Studies, Center for Innovative Teaching,
Labor Resource Center, Psychology, Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies,
Sociology. With thanks to the planning committee: Karen Suyemoto, Sofya Aptekar,
Sarah Mayorga-Gallo, Linda Ai-Yun Liu, Tahirah Abdullah, Mona Abo-Zena, Ping-Ann
Addo, and Steve Striffler. Thanks also to Eric Berry (Psychology), Juan Pablo
Blanco and Jeannette Meija (TCCS) for their help with flyers and posters. And our appreciation to all student
volunteers, presenters, and attendees.