Anti-Racism Media and Literature Club

Mission Statement

We recognize that racism has remained an operating principle of institutional structures in the United States since its inception. Furthermore, we recognize that racist power systems in the US and around the world pervade and undergird not just our societies generally but also academia and astronomy specifically. In our pursuit of racial justice, we must face this reality truthfully. We will center our learning with the experiences of the most marginalized. We acknowledge that many people’s identities lie at the intersection of systems of oppression, including but not limited to racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia and classism. We pledge to take action for racial justice. Those with the most privilege have the greatest responsibility to dismantle systemic white supremacy. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color’s (BIPOC) anger is righteous. BIPOC’s joy is righteous. BIPOC’s dreams are righteous.

Rules of engagement

We hope to foster an equitable discussion climate and grow as individuals and as a department in our knowledge and practice of anti-racism. Topics that will be discussed here may cause discomfort for those who benefit from a racist society, and this is a necessary part of our anti-racist work. Individuals holding marginalized identities are not obligated to speak on behalf of or represent their communities. Those with the most privilege have the greatest responsibility to dismantle systemic white supremacy. We ask that you pay attention to these ground rules:

1. We will work together to prioritize the voices and needs of the most vulnerable in any given conversation.

2. Disagree with ideas, not people; use "I" statements to speak from your personal perspective, rather than making generalizations.

3. Avoid asking other people to “calm down” or speak with less emotion (commonly known as tone-policing) because this shifts the focus to the privileged group’s feelings and often silences marginalized individuals.

4. Be conscious of how much space you're taking up in a conversation; be extra conscious if you hold a privileged or dominant identity when discussing a form of inequality or oppression.

5. Avoid playing devil’s advocate: specifically, do not argue for contrarian positions that you do not actually hold.

Zoom rules: mute yourself when you’re not talking, use the ‘raise hand’ feature to be called on

Questions / suggestions / requests / mailing list etc, please reach out to the leadership team:

Irene, Hayley, Jenny, Kate and Gillen