Fuck #CovCath

My final words on #CovCath #ExposeCatholicSchools

“Offended by Fiesta, activists plan protest”

The Santa Fe New Mexican ran this piece by Daniel Chacon. The headline is bullshit, because this has nothing to do with “taking offence” and everything to do with standing up against a racist, historically inaccurate narrative.

The Girls Of The Leesburg Stockade

In 1963, about 20 girls were jailed for 45 days in a one-room jail in Leesburg, Ga. for their participation in Civil Rights marches in Americus. They didn’t talk about that experience for 50 years. Now the nine surviving members of The 1963 Leesburg Stockade Girls have been nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Learn more about their story here.

Hear their personal testimony in a 7-minute video here.

 

Gatherings to Condemn the Murder of Alton Sterling

 

Thursday, July 7 at 7pm at the UNM Bookstore in Albuquerque

Protest/rally/vigil honoring Alton Sterling (RIP) and condemning police brutality and the murder of countless Black men, women, children, and other minorities….

AND… Thursday, July 7 at 7pm at the Plaza in Santa Fe

Share in a moment of silence for the murder of Alton Sterling. Show solidarity for all people of color who have lost their lives to police violence.

Elie Wiesel

The Holocaust survivor, writer, and Nobel peace laureate Elie Wiesel has died aged 87 at his home in Manhattan.

His words had power. Let’s remember some of them.

The first steps in not being racist

Interesting article on Quartz:

“White fragility” refers to white people’s low emotional tolerance for discussing topics of race and racism.

The term was coined by Dr. Robin DiAngelo in a 2011 article discussing her experience with white people in anti-racism trainings. She defines it as “a state when even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves.”

“(Re)narrating Equity: Creating Equitable Structures of Entry and Exit in Santa Fe Public Schools”

A paper written by April Wang is getting a lot of buzz among SFPS educators right now. You will not want to miss it. It covers issue of bias against race and problems with equity in our district.

APS will offer Ethnic Studies

As reported in the ABQ Journal, all high schools in the Albuquerque Public Schools district will offer ethic studies.

The planning process began last week with a three-day workshop that brought about 40 teachers and community members together to brainstorm curriculum possibilities.

Attendees discussed concepts like unconscious bias, as well as books and movies that present Hispanic, African-American, Native American and Asian culture, throwing out titles like “The Karma of Brown Folks,” “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” and “Reservation Blues.” One suggestion even featured a little-known Scandinavian minority. The course will be designed to cover a broad array of racial and ethnic groups.

Currently, Albuquerque, Del Norte and Highland are the only high schools with courses focused on minority experiences – Chicano studies and Mexican-American literature at Albuquerque and Highland; Native American studies at Del Norte.

Under the new plan, every high school will offer ethnic studies as an elective option for juniors and seniors.

 

 

Rethink Labels

We label people we don’t understand…and labeling people makes them easier to hate. The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio asks us to rethink the way we use labels.

Thank you to Tony Weber for sharing this video he produced.

Call to Action: Abolish UNM’s Racist Seal

Join UNM KIVA Club and The Red Nation on Friday, April 29 at 12pm to demand the University of New Mexico abolish its racist seal! We demand justice for Natives on campus. We call on all to unite against racism. Join Native students to deliver a list of demands to the President’s Office. Meet up point in the front of Scholes Hall at the UNM – ABQ campus.