My dear collegues,
As I'm sure is true for many of us, the events of the past weeks (months/years/decades...) have emphatically reinforced to me the need for a radical shift in how we meaningfully address JEDI in what we do. One (admittedly small) step I've been thinking about are the statements of reconciliation that have become more prevalent in the past year, which seem to be modeled on/inspired by Canada's Truth and Reconcoliation Commission (if don't know it already, you can read about here: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1524494530110/1557511412801).
We're dutifully acknowledging native lands, which is great and important, but particularly in the US it seems like we should be acknowleding a lot more. Does anyone have model language they've been using that starts to address our history of inequity? Here's one example--its my wife's opening statement on the first day of her classes at UVA:
"Before we continue, I would like to acknowledge, in a spirit of gratitude and reconciliation, that the land on which we are meeting is the traditional territory of the Monacan people, a people who lived here for 10,000 years before Europeans arrived, and that the core buildings of this university were built with enslaved and exploited labor, much of which was provided by people of African descent. Without the unwilling sacrifices of these people, we would not be here today. For me personally, this history impels me to work to make this university a place of opportunity for everyone and a tool for eliminating the historical inequities that continue to plague our society. Our department strives to be a collegial place, and I am confident in the goodwill of everyone in it. If you encounter any unfairness, I hope you will trust that it was unintended and that you will speak up about it, either in the moment or later to the faculty or student representatives whose purpose is to support you. In the classroom, I hope you will join me in working to create a welcoming space where everyone is emboldened to voice their opinions and questions respectfully. Together, I hope we can explore and learn not only from the books we will be reading, but also from each other."
Do you know of a built environment example that does this really well--one that could be used for, say, a public engagement session? Has anyone found a way of effectively acknowledging white privilege at the outset of a meeting?
