Read on Twitter
I was not planning on tweeting any of my own words this weekend (‘cause that’s my business), but I now have to send a message as a faculty member of my school
Let me say to Black students at the Harris School (my undergrads, masters students, PhD, etc.) I want you to know
*I see you*
Yesterday was a terrible day in the US, it’s been a horrible week, and this week is not likely to be much better
*I see you*
Yesterday was a terrible day in the US, it’s been a horrible week, and this week is not likely to be much better
On top of the general challenges black students face in academia and the specific ones you face at the University of Chicago and the Harris school, and an ongoing pandemic, you once again have to grapple with police murdering black people across the US
No one faculty member speaks for the entire body, but what we say can have an impact on our students. So rather than leave it to a matter of inference, I’m tweeting to let you know how one faculty member feels
I’ll add: if you haven’t heard what you want from a faculty member (including myself), that’s not necessarily the worse thing. In some cases, we may not be prepared for the moment, an can actually make things worse by speaking up if we don’t have the range ...
That is not to say that you shouldn’t expect more of us, but our ability to be useful in these moments depends on what we do on a day-in and day-out basis
Moreover, it’s valid to ask what role we as an institution play in the dynamics that lay before us:
As a University with a private police force that is employed to separate our campus from surrounding communities, how have we contributed to racist policing in Chicago?
As a University with a private police force that is employed to separate our campus from surrounding communities, how have we contributed to racist policing in Chicago?
How might the research that we the faculty do, and it’s framing, affect the levels and type of policing we see in the US, and the scope of policy options that are deemed legitimate?
I’ll add for black students in this setting: there is the pressure to act, to take care of your peers, protest, and affect change. Your faculty, staff, and admin should be doing what they can to support you and alleviate that burden, as much as possible
And it is ok to balance your desire to make things better with your need to take care of your self, your safety can and your mental health. You can view the two as complementary goals
I’ll also add that our non-black students are also affected by the recent events, the increase in policing we all now face in Chicago and around the country ... one would indeed hope so
And with that, I’m back to tweeting out links to bail funds: https://chicagobond.org/donate/ ">https://chicagobond.org/donate/&q...
And just to repeat: I am speaking *as* a faculty member at my school. I do not speak *for* my school. Two different things.
