At the time of writing, worldwide protests are taking place against police
brutality and anti-Black racial violence in the US. As a community, we at
Chronically Academic condemn anti-Black violence and systemic racism. We
support and stand in solidarity with our Black network members, colleagues,
and students. Our mandate to support academics with chronic conditions and
disabilities and to work to dismantle structures of academic ableism is
intersectional; we cannot dismantle ableist structures without dismantling
racist, sexist and colonial structures of white supremacy in the academy and
beyond. We recognize that in academia, in the medical system, and in everyday
life, Black disabled academics face a great deal more systemic oppression and
direct discrimination due to the intersection of disability and blackness.
Therefore they are more likely to face ableism and racism. This might include:
being turned down for a job, not being able to access healthcare or disability
accommodations, being racially profiled, being told that they do not belong in
academia, not being believed when they speak up about being mistreated, being
ignored, being silenced, being racially abused, being victimised. We also
recognise that this intersectional lens has to acknowledge the oppression
faced by Black trans people and Black queer people, who face
disproportionately high rates of discrimination and violence.
We recognise that making a statement in itself is not enough, and strive to
learn about how we can do better as a community and with this platform. We do
not want to place the burden on BIPOC/BAME members of our community to educate
us. Instead we encourage everyone in the Chronically academic community to
join us in educating ourselves and fighting these inequalities.
We commit to the following actions:
- Amplifying the voices of Black disabled students and academics and helping to increase representation.
- Providing a platform for Black disabled students and academics (e.g. through our Twitter account, and through Twitter hashtags).
- Ensuring that people in the Chronically Academic community are aware that we have a zero-tolerance policy to racism, ableism or discrimination of any kind.
- Holding monthly Twitter chats about allyship and sharing resources about how to be an ally.
- Looking at whether Chronically Academic needs to make any other changes at an organisational level to become more inclusive and anti-racist.
If you are a non-Black person, as a first step, we urge you to educate
yourself on the key issues and how to engage on this topic, including taking
note of what not to do. We as a team are committed to doing this
self-education and self-reflection as well. Please see below a list of
resources as a starting point. We welcome you to get in touch with us to add
more to the list. It is OK to be outraged or upset about the injustices, but
do not air your outrage or sadness with Black people and ask them to educate
you about what you can do, or expect their emotional support. It is
understandable that you may feel guilty and uncomfortable about your
privilege, but ask yourself how you have benefitted from this privilege, why
it makes you uncomfortable, and what you can do going forward to make things
better for people without your privilege. Use your privilege to provide
platforms for others without it. Do not ask for emotional labour from Black
students or colleagues at what is already a traumatic time. Do not share
graphic images or videos of violence against Black people, especially without
a trigger warning. If you are an academic with seniority, support your Black
students by thinking about
what you can do practically
to make your department actively anti-racist. Lastly, you may feel an urge to
write about this movement as an academic, but reconsider: does academia need
another non-Black perspective on Black issues? Instead, look at your archive
and citations, consider what perspectives are missing and work to fill these
spaces. We must all strive to continually do anti-racist work and uphold
anti-racist practices, no matter our fields of study or the demographics of
our classrooms and departments.
Blog posts, websites, twitter threads and articles:
Racism in academia
- Leading routes article and link to report about structural racism in academia.
- List of articles about racism in academia and the workplace.
- Information about the BAME attainment gap and continuation gap in UK higher education.
- Why do Black students quit university more often than their white peers?
- Runnymede trust report on race and inequality in academia.
- Racism in academia has impacts on BAME staff’s mental health.
- Race science and eugenics; how scientific racism still exists and may be making a comeback.
- The legacy of racism and Indigenous Australian identity within education.
Ableism and racism/racism in health and healthcare
- What is health inequality?
- Ethnic inequalities in health: the impact of racism.
- Racism and discrimination in health care.
- The updated Marmot review on health equity.
- Articles on how the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has disproportionately affected Black, Asian and Minority ethnic individuals, and continues to do so: here, here, here and here.
Racism throughout history (the legacy of racism)
- Historic England’s website on racism and resistance in Britain.
- David Osoluga’s article on the legacy of racism in Britain.
- Dr Amy Kavanagh’s blog post on the Edward Colston statue in Bristol.
- Twitter thread on racism in the UK from @ObiomaUgoala.
Theories
Intersectionality:
- Dr Kimberle Crenshaw’s 1991 article Mapping the margins: intersectionality, identity politics and violence against women of color, Stanford law review.
- Interview with Dr Crenshaw about intersectionality.
Critical race theory:
- Purdue OWL’s explainer and reading list on Critical race theory.
Resources and guidance on action
Resources on allyship and being a good ally:
- Dr Addy Adelaine’s article on the importance of good allyship.
- Twitter thread by Mya Robertson on how to support our Black colleagues and students.
- Ally Henny on the question many people ask: What can I do?
- Do no harm: guidance for White allies who are trying to help.
- Summer May Finlay’s article on how to be an accomplice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia.
- 7 Examples of What Being an Ally at Work Really Looks Like from @betterallies.
Why just showing that you are an ally is not enough:
- Holliday Phillips on the harms of performative allyship.
- Black Girl Dangerous on what Ally Theater means, and how to avoid it.
How can I teach my students about race and racism?
- Teaching about race, racism and police violence.
- How should I talk about race in my mostly white classroom?
Books:
- How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
- Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
- Women, Race and Class by Angela Y. Davis
- The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B Du Bois
- Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
- Superior: The return of race science by Angela Saini
- So you want to talk about race by Ijeoma Oluo
- Brit(ish): On race, identity and belonging by Afua Hirsch
- Ain’t I a woman by bell hooks
- The Master’s tools will never dismantle the Master’s House by Audre Lorde
- Why I’m no longer talking to White People about race by Renni Eddo-Lodge
- Insurgent Empire: Anti-colonial resistance and British Dissent by Priyamvada Gopal
- The colour of Madness: exploring BAME mental health in the UK by Samara Linton and Rianna Walcott
- The end of policing by Alex S. Vitale (ebook available for free at the time of writing)
- Policing the Planet: Why the Policing Crisis Led to Black Lives Matter Edited by Jordan T. Camp and Christina Heatherton (ebook currently free on verso books)
Useful websites and organisations to follow:
- Black Lives Matter
- National Black Disability Coalition
- Intersectionality network
- African American Policy Forum
- Runnymede Trust
- Leading routes
- Ladders4Action
- Advancing health equity
Helpful reading lists shared by people on Twitter:
- A primer on race/ism by Dr Shay-Akil McLean
- Dr Adrienne Keen’s course on Critical Race Theory
- Google doc of anti-racism resources by Sarafina Nance
- Google drive folder about black history and activism
Podcasts:
- Intersectionality Matters
- NPR’s Codeswitch
- Sandy and Nora
- About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge
- We Live Here
- Blacademia: yarns with Australian First Nations/Indigenous academics
Twitter hashtags to follow:
#BlackLivesMatter
#DisabledPeopleforBlackLives
#BlackDisabledLivesMatter
#BlackTransLivesMatter
#SayHerName
#ShutdownAcademia
#Strike4BlackLives
#BlackInTheIvory
#BlackAutistics
#BlackInAcademia
#BlackInSTEM
#BlackBirdersWeek
#BlackAFinSTEM
#diversityinSTEM
#ShutdownSTEM
#AmplifyBlackSTEM
#BlackLivesMatter
#DisabledPeopleforBlackLives
#BlackDisabledLivesMatter
#BlackTransLivesMatter
#SayHerName
#ShutdownAcademia
#Strike4BlackLives
#BlackInTheIvory
#BlackAutistics
#BlackInAcademia
#BlackInSTEM
#BlackBirdersWeek
#BlackAFinSTEM
#diversityinSTEM
#ShutdownSTEM
#AmplifyBlackSTEM