Get ready for Critical Social Justice: Rise with our What You Need to Know series. Written by Marie Pessagno.

Three years ago, the idea to incorporate a walking tour of Baltimore during Critical Social Justice week came into fruition. Since its implementation, it has been an integral part of CSJ. You may be asking yourself: “Why it is important to include a walking tour of Baltimore? How could walking through Baltimore possibly have anything to do with Critical Social Justice?  These are both great questions to ask, and so to give a thorough answer, I met with Baltimore implant, history enthusiast, and walking tour guide… Dr. Kate Drabinski.

In talking to Dr. Kate, I was made aware of the fact that not all UMBC students are familiar with the city of Baltimore outside of Camden Yards or the Aquarium. Dr. Kate expressed to me that “In order to fully understand and comprehend the complexities that the city of Baltimore represents, it is important to physically experience it.” The walking tour is only one (of many) ways in which we as a community can bring UMBC to Baltimore.

Baltimore is a city that has been recently been the object of many news stories because of the politicized and highly publicized experiences of violence and police brutality.  This has most recently been seen during the unrest that occurred after the death of Freddie Gray.  There is an upcoming HBO special set to air November 20 that is centered on the years of economic disenfranchisement as seen through the eyes of activists, journalists, and community residents to better tell their stories in hopes to be understood.  

The systematic racism and segregationist efforts in Baltimore began in the early 1900’s and continue to occur today.  The walking tour helps to “enable students to broaden their view” of Baltimore outside of the classroom and to give a first-hand account of where and how history shaped the city.

Following the walking tour, Charm City Connection is hosting an event to link UMBC students to organizations that do work in the Baltimore community. Check out the flyer here! This is a great way to extend your knowledge of the city and the many opportunities and resources that are available to help serve our local community and to help better the city.

Get ready for Critical Social Justice: Rise with our What You Need to Know series. Written by Sheila Suarez.

Activism is the action of campaigning to cause social or political change, and it takes many forms of expression; physical action, artistic expression, and academic scholarship, to name a few. The Native people of the United States have their own strong activism history with the purpose of bettering the lives of those that are part of their community.

Native peoples have been fighting for centuries since the colonization of the Americas. From receiving proper treatment from the government to accessing the land that was once where they lived, indigenous peoples have been actively fighting for respect, autonomy, and equal treatment.

Scholars consider the roots of modern Native activism begins with the Occupation of Alcatraz in 1969. The Occupation of Alcatraz was an action taken by 90 urban Native college students to occupy the island of Alcatraz. Those occupying the island demanded that the island be given back to the Native peoples of the San Francisco Bay area, eventually allowing them to create a college and culture center. After 19 months of occupying the island, the activists were forcibly removed by the United States government, but not before inspiring many others in tribal communities across the nation.

Native peoples’ activism has taken many forms since the Occupation of Alcatraz. The rise of Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a great example of this. Columbus Day, celebrated on the second Monday of October, ultimately commemorates the colonization of the Americas and the subsequent genocide of millions of indigenous lives. Indigenous Peoples’ Day was created in 1992 in Berkeley, California as an alternative to Columbus Day. Through the legal action of Native American leaders, this holiday is meant to be a celebration of the Native Peoples, their history, and their resilience. Slowly but surely, many different cities and townships have adopted the new holiday.

When thinking about Native activism, many may also look to the recent efforts to halt the Dakota Access Pipeline. The Standing Rock Sioux and the Cheyenne River Sioux were the first to oppose the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). In addition to legal battles, there was an incredible presence on the ground; peaceful protest happened 24/7 throughout the spring, summer, fall, and winter of 2016. Native activists, like our keynote speaker Dr. Adrienne Keene, came together in solidarity with environmentalists and many others to challenge the construction of DAPL and educate other communities on how this 1,100 mile long oil pipeline could poison the drinking water of the Native peoples in Standing Rock and other communities that lived along its path. It was, however, not only the threat of environmental degradation but the continued exploitation of Native lands by the U.S. government and corporate interests that many opposed. As legal battles ensued, the peaceful protesting around construction sites swelled to thousands, and just so, North Dakota police began to use tear gas, rubber bullets, water spraying, dogs, and other violent tactics to suppress protesters. Unfortunately, in January 2017, President Trump signed an executive action to advance the construction of DAPL. Protesters continued to seek legal protection and stays, but were ultimately booted out by police in February of this year.

The history of Native activism is a lesson in resistance and resilience. As a group that has had to fight for their rights, culture, and land for hundreds of years, their sustained commitment is a testament to the strength and power of their people and communities. Although we have only touched the surface of this history, we look forward to learning more.

If you would like to learn more about Native activism, come hear Adrienne Keene speak about Native appropriations and Indigenous social media, Tuesday, October 24, 2017 in the UC Ballroom from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. In the mean time, take a look at Adrienne Keene’s blog, Native Appropriations, as well as her active Twitter feed @NativeApprops.

Further reading below:

• Zinn Education Project’s Timeline of Native American Activism
• Adrienne Keene’s #NoDAPL: Updates, resources, and reflections
• Stand with Standing Rock News
• Standing Rock timeline from Mother Jones
• Standing Rock And The Forgotten History Of Native American Activism by Ben Railton (more on early Native American Activism)
• Indian Country Today – Native American news source

Get ready for Critical Social Justice: Rise with our What You Need to Know series. Written by Sydney Phillips. Check out The Monument Quilt Display flyer here.

Last year, Critical Social Justice: Home was dedicated to recognizing UMBC as a home to many different people and communities. We celebrated UMBC as a home for learning, activism, and social change, as well as worked to invest ourselves in creating meaningful change here on campus. We then took our new in sights and knowledge with us to our other homes.

This year’s theme of RISE explores opportunities for building individual and collective resistance and resilience. Events throughout the week will challenge us to think about how we can do better, do more, and persist in doing it. How do we rise to meet the challenges of this particular cultural moment to work toward a vision of inclusive excellence—whether it’s in the classroom, online, or in our communities?

One of the social justice issues that CSJ: Rise will focus on, in tandem with Relationship Violence Awareness Month, is sexual violence. On October 26th from 10am – 4pm the Monument Quilt will be on campus for a quilt display on Erikson Field. There will also be a workshop in the AOK library 216L from 2 – 4pm to make your own quilt squares in solidarity.

The Monument Quilt is a  crowd-sourced collection of stories from survivors of rape and abuse. The quilt is based in Baltimore but travels around the United States for displays at colleges and other events. The project will conclude in the Spring of 2018 with a quilt display on the National Mall spelling out “Note Alone.”

Each individual square is made of red fabric with hand-written testimonials created by survivors and allies. The goal of the quilt and the sharing of these stories is to create a public space for healing for survivors and to work towards changing how communities respond to rape.

The Monument Quilt addresses rape as a social justice issue that affects everyone and views activism as a way of healing from trauma. This project is creating a new culture where survivors are publicly supported, rather than shamed. It also deconstructs the narrow, mainstream narrative of sexual assault by letting survivors tell their own stories.

The Monument Quilt takes an intersectional lens to the issue of sexual violence and focuses on specific communities who are affected by sexual violence, including but not limited to women and people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and men. In an effort to represent the community with the highest rate of sexual violence in the U.S., The Monument Quilt has partnered with many Indigenous people and tribal communities. According to the a 2015 study by the National Institute of Justice, 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaskan Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime. Native women are significantly more likely to experience violence by a non-Native partner. Of those that have experienced violence, 66.5% of women were concerned for their safety.  

In 2015, The Monument Quilt joined other activists to demand justice for a 13-year-old Choctaw boy who was sexually assaulted multiple times by his supervisor, Dale Townsend, at the Dollar General where the two worked. The boy’s parents brought a suit against Dollar General in Tribal Court, and the retailer argued that because the store was not within the jurisdiction of the tribe the retailer could not be legally sued by the tribe. Dollar General v. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians became a much larger issue because it was not only about ensuring justice for a survivor, but about proving equitable legal power for Native American communities. This case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court where a tie allowed a lower court’s opinion in favor of the Choctaw tribe to stand.

You can earn more about The Monument Quilt and their activist efforts through the display and workshop on Thursday. You can also learn more about Native issues from our keynote speaker Native Scholar and Activist, Dr. Adrienne Keene, who will deliver the CSJ: Rise keynote lecture on Tuesday 10/24 at 6 pm in the University Center Ballroom. Please RSVP to the Facebook event if you are planning to come see the display!

Further reading below:

• Read more of our What You Need to Know series for CSJ: Rise.
• You can view some of the Monument Quilt squares here.
• Dollar General Attacks Tribal Jurisdiction by The Monument Quilt
• Rape Survivors’ Stories in Full FORCE; Focus on Abuse Against Native Women by Indian Country Today

Check out the full list of Critical Social Justice: Rise events here.

Reposting to help spread the word!!

Trans Support Group is a semester-long, emotional support group for UMBC students who identify as trans, genderqueer, gender fluid, non-binary, bigender, and/or those who are questioning their gender identity. This is a student-centered group to explore gender identity as well as gain support from peers on issues that may impact trans college students.  The first group will be held on Friday, October 20th and we are asking for a commitment to attend all groups this semester with the understanding that situations do arise where you may need to be absent.  All sessions are free and confidential.

Trans Support Group is held weekly on Fridays at 2pm-2:50pm. 

Please email Amber Hager, Ph.D. at ahager@umbc.edu or Bailey Tackett, M.S. at btackett@umbc.edu to arrange a pre-group meeting to discuss whether this group matches your needs!