Important by @ArchaeologyFitz The conversation in question yet again reinforced why British (and European) archaeology is so overwhelmingly white and often feels so exclusive and alienating to me. I’m grateful to work with people who support me and are committed to making(1/8) https://twitter.com/archaeologyfitz/status/1246730597709512706

archaeology a better, more inclusive, and more introspective discipline. But tbh the vast majority of institutions make me feel like we would never be welcome there. It’s difficult navigating academia as the “perpetually angry about race and colonialism” woman. (2/8)

Of course I am! This is the history of our discipline and I will always call it out, always push for change. But it is exhausting, and it is ESPECIALLY exhausting seeing white, privileged academics (even women) take turns playing saviour to us and then victim if we aren’t (3/8)

Always grateful and praising their efforts. The bare minimum is not enough. Talking about the enduring legacy of colonialism in archaeology is easy for white, privileged academics and provides them with social and academic capital. And yet for us it always feels like a (4/8)

Struggle, a battle that might jeopardise our careers. In the Ethics Discussion Group that I run in our department, we discussed the perils of decolonising becoming such a hot topic in academia, and specifically in archaeology. The harmful effects on the communities that put(5/8)

Themselves on the line to explain and theorise and fight for decolonisation continually. And yet it is now a specific subset of white, privileged, western academic that gets to advance their careers writing about such topics while failing to practice what decolonisation (6/8)

Would entail in their research, their projects, their classrooms. Yet the BIPOC scholars writing about and practicing decolonising methodologies get run out of academia. I’m grateful for their voices, I’m grateful for their strength. And I’m filled with disappointed and (7/8)

Hopelessness for my colleagues& myself who are tired of constantly having to have these conversations, attacked or snidely talked about for fighting for this. Please academia, do better. We can make this better, and that will necessarily involve some amount of discomfort but(8/8)