Accessibility and Disability Service and Student Disability Services highlight Black History Month.
Rediscover how some members of the Black Civil Rights Movement also played essential roles as activists in the US Disability Rights Movement, and paved the way for disability rights activists to influence social change and legislation. Many people with disabilities were part of both movements and continue to be today. Crip Camp shows how intersectional being black and disabled can be - beyond the Black Panthers. Further back in history, learn new things about the famous Black figures who also had disabilities. For instance, Harriet Tubman lived with epilepsy and narcolepsy.
In the links described below, we hope you may find information you will be happy to rediscover or learn for the first time. Black history is being made this moment, and there is an endless amount to learn from the past. A little time spent exploring Black history this month may lead you in enlightening directions. Research forays have been known to start at (link)Brad Lomax, and end up at the (link) Wild Zappers, a DC-based all black all deaf dance company - what new-to-you ancestral influencers and history-makers will become front-of-mind to you?
Test your knowledge by taking this quiz with the National Black Disability Coalition (NBDC): (link)http://www.blackdisability.org/content/black-disabled-trivia
Important figures in Black History:
· Enter “Black History” plus any disability (i.e. "autism," "dyslexia," etc.) into a search engine and explore more about the intersectionality of disability.
Explore Black History and Disability Rights:
The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has a great article about the integral role Black disability rights activists played in securing rights for all US citizens with disabilities. (link)https://www.ncld.org/news/honoring-black-history-month-unsung-heroes-of-the-disability-rights-movement/ For more on Brad Lomax, a leader in the 1977 protests that led to the implementation of section 504 of the rehabilitation act, see this NYT obituary (link) https:/www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/obituaries/brad-lomax-overlooked.html
Black Disabled and Proud: College Students with Disabilities is a website by the HBCU Disability Consortium. Their page titled “Black Lives Matter and Disability” speaks to the recent and daily making of Black history as it intersects with disability. (link)https://www.blackdisabledandproud.org/black-lives-matter.html The page includes links to thoughtful articles as well as self-care info.
The Disability Visibility Project’s Black Lives Matter page has podcasts (with transcripts) that explore the individual experiences of people who are actively contributing individually and/or organizing to raise awareness about being Black and having a disability. (link)https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/tag/black-lives-matter/ Click through on the posts and find things like Jen White Johnson’s Black Disability Lives Matter mural (link)https://jenwhitejohnson.com/Black-Disabled-Lives-Matter-Mural-Project
More UMBC posts and events are going up over the course of the month. If you are looking for disability resources - use these links:
9 A.M. - 5 P.M., MONDAY - FRIDAY
Hours and availability are subject to change.
For all graphic, animation, and motion design, Please submit a Design Request Form
PLEASE EMAIL ALL PRINT AND PRODUCTION INQUIRIES TO COMMONVISION@UMBC.EDU
Helpful resources:
For access to health and human services information, visit 2-1-1 Maryland or dial 2-1-1.
For UMBC community members who need access to healthy food and other essential supplies visit Retriever Essentials or the myUMBC Retriever Essentials group.
For UMBC-related COVID-19 updates, visit covid19.umbc.edu or email covid19@umbc.edu
]]>Welcome back to school, Retrievers! We hope that you had the restful break you all deserve. We also hope that you find great success in your spring semester courses; continue being tenacious and studious, but also make sure you set aside some time for yourself and your mental health! Also know that many resources exist on campus to help you define and engage with your self-care practices, such as Retriever Integrated Health.
The Student Government Association (SGA) is thrilled to be back in our office supporting you and addressing the many issues that still exist on campus. We want you to know that even though some of our functions have moved online, SGA is not online and we are accessible in physical spaces to support you. Feel free to stop by our office, Commons 2B20 or reach out to one of our officers if you need to get in touch with someone. Staff profiles and ways of getting in touch with us can be found on our website: https://sga.umbc.edu/.
If you are interested in being more involved in the work of SGA, you can get involved in many ways including attending Senate meetings (Mondays at 5:30PM), Finance Board meetings (Tuesday at 5:30PM), and applying for SGA Vacancies. Otherwise, feel free to check out any of our social media platforms for consistent updates on upcoming SGA events.
- Twitter: @umbcsga
- Instagram: @umbcsga
- Tik Tok: @umbcsga
Again, best of luck to you all this semester, and stay safe.
Yours in service,
Joshua Gray, SGA President
Sruthi Ramesh, Executive Vice President
Nailah-Bena Chambers, Vice President for Student Organizations
Ayah Aligabi, Treasurer
Registration is open for the Multicultural Leadership Cohort Experience (MLCE), a collaborative effort between Campus Life and the Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging (i3b), to be held during the Spring 2022 semester. The purpose of all MLE programs is to provide a space for students and student leaders who identify within diverse or marginalized backgrounds to discover their own capacity to lead, while also promoting a better understanding of their experiences, issues, strengths, and outcomes in navigating their own collegiate careers. The spring cohort experience is offered SOLELY for selected applicants (up to 18 undergraduate and graduate students). All locations for meeting dates and times will be announced via email to selected participants and invited through Google Calendar.
This spring, we will be exploring the concept of Deconstructing Grit and Greatness. We will do this in a leadership learning cohort by:
Enhancing participants' leader identity and leadership capacity using an identity-conscious lens and student development theories;
Increasing participants’ awareness of their personal abilities, identity development, and intersections that shape their story through authenticity, self-reflection, and cultural humility;
Exploring the role they play in developing relationships while building intra/intercultural connections;
And capitalizing on their unique differences, specifically in relation to their racial, ethnic, national, and other salient identity social groups
The first session will cover a brief overview of the program. However, please note that all details related to session topics will be only disclosed to the cohort. Additionally, as we continue to monitor all COVID related procedures, the first session will be held virtually followed by in-person sessions. This is subject to change according to university guidelines. Meeting dates and times are as follow:
Registration link: tinyurl.com/mle2022. Deadline for applying is Monday, February 14, 2022 at 11:59pm EST.
For questions or more information, contact:
Spring Center Hours
The Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Friday. COVID QTY: 11
The Pride Center is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. COVID QTY: 10
The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. COVID QTY: 26
**Spaces are only accessible when i3b professional or student staff are present.**
We’d also like to introduce you to our Google Group listservs for each space, as well as various initiatives. Please fill out the Google Form to be added to our listservs.
i3b Community:i3bCommunity-usergroup@umbc.edu
This is our general listserv for any and all UMBC undergraduate, graduate students, staff, faculty, alumni and campus community partners to stay up to date with all i3b events, programs, initiatives and news
i3b's Mosaic Listserv:i3bmosaic-usergroup@umbc.edu
i3b's Gathering Space Listserv:i3bGatheringSpace-usergroup@umbc.edu
i3b’s PrideCenter Listserv:pridecenter-usergroup@umbc.edu
This is a Google Group for the Pride Center, one of three Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion and Belonging (i3b) centers housed within the Division of Student Affairs. This group is meant to communicate information related to the Pride Center and LGBTQIA+ engagement more broadly.
These three listservs are for center-specific news and events.
i3b Retriever Immigrants United:i3bRIU-usergroup@umbc.edu
This is the official mailing list for all news, updates, resources and announcements related to the 1st and 2nd generation immigrant population that RIU centers.
i3b SistaCare:i3bSistaCare-usergroup@umbc.edu
This is the official mailing list for all news, updates, resources and announcements related to SistaCare, a self-care and community-building group open to all undergraduate and graduate Black/Africana women (e.g. trans, cis) and femmes, regardless of their gender expression.
i3b Campus Partners:i3bPartners-usergroup@umbc.edu
This Listserv will be composed of primarily staff and faculty partners, as well as select student and alumni leaders that facilitate outreach across campus on behalf of our shared work at i3b.
Space Usage and Sign-In Process
We are delighted to see our spaces being used by students to study, connect, pray, meditate, and build community. In order to keep up with who is using our spaces, we are moving from paper sign-in sheets to UMBC ID card readers. Just like other events and programs on campus, UMBC ID cards will be scanned at entry for The Mosaic and Pride Centers, and The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being. Collecting student and visitor data will support our assessment practices, and help us make funding decisions regarding supplies, prayer space and other needs. All data collected will be maintained confidentially within the UMBC Rex system. If a student or guest does not have a UMBC ID card, paper sign-in sheets will be available.
UMBC COVID Protocols and i3b Spaces
We will have surgical masks available in all three i3b spaces and expect that all students, staff, and visitors wear their masks for the entirety of their visit unless they are actively eating or drinking. In order to keep all students and staff comfortable and as safe as possible, please remember that proper mask-wearing is required at all times. Those not in compliance will be asked to leave.
You can find more information about the university mask mandate atcovid19.umbc.edu/masks/
As we continue to navigate this experience, you may also want to begin considering virtual meetings, events, and engagements to prioritize our community's health. ]]>