An ex-Prime Minister who is known for being homophobic, xenophobic, sexist, racist… Just got a Queen’s Birthday honour for “his work in indigenous affairs and border protection”
What the actual fuck.
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This made me very angry when I read about it on Monday. It kinda just topped off my fortnight of being frustrated and angry.
I actually read it and cried, though I think it was just the straw that broke the camels back
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Got an email yesterday at 4pm about #shutdownacademia from university president. It encouraged people to take today as a day for reflection and education on issues of race. However, it also said to work with your supervisor on getting it set up. I messaged my boss about it in our department group chat and she never responded. An email from our dean suggested focused on next week when there is a different demonstration planned and working with out diversity and inclusion group on putting something together for that.
I love the idea of a higher ed strike and reserving the workday for action to help the movement, especially since we have so many unresolved racial issues in the ivory tower, but my crappy boss is going out on leave at the end of the week and I desperately need to get work done and to her before then.
Am I a bad person if I cross the metaphorical picket lines and work today?
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I don’t know. I mean, I didn’t work but that was because as a student nobody was going to notice AND the first unread about it was 3pm on our Wednesday anyway. If you can’t do this one, set things up ASAP to do the next one and make some more meaningful change some other way?
@nnls ((hugs)) it’s so fucked up. I’m so sorry.
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how is you not having this happen going to help deal with systemic racism through your own reflection and education on the topic? You can shift your reflection to another day. Your crappy boss isn’t going to be around for an extra day before their leave because of this shutdown.
Also, 4pm is silly to make that kind of announcement.
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Thanks. I need to work for a company that is less emotional exhausting (for me) so that I can read the news without crying
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Can you write someone (the Queen) to complain? Use Twitter or other social platform to expose?
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The queen doesn’t decide who gets the honours, and I don’t think those that do decide would care
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Ah, but maybe the Queen wouldn’t appreciate the use of her name in this way? And the voters may care, so the officials who grant these things should care. It is a hot topic now, so may be the best chance for awhile.
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Thanks @plainjane and @LadyDuck.
I’m working today, but have blocked off time on my calendar for the week of June 19-25 for the #academics4BlackLives initiative. That one is much more structured, with zoom seminars and a whole almost syllabus. It won’t be as specific to the problems in my particular corner of academia as me taking the day to research what specific things I could do and bring up as a member of my college’s D&I working group, but maybe we can set something up in my department/area where we can participate in the zoom and then discuss how to apply to our spheres of influence.
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Possibly, but I think a lot of people probably deserve he is a worthy recipient of the award, I have had plenty of non-Indigenous Australians tell me I should vote for the liberal party (Tony Abbots party) because they are the only main party that care about Indigenous people and how great Tony Abbott was.
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Thank you for mentioning this- I hadn’t seen the weeklong initiative, so I very much appreciate it.
I’ve got meetings out the wazoo today (including one discussing the university’s budget cuts and layoffs…bad timing, oof). But I’ll do some research in between and sign up for some of those webinars.
My employer could definitely do some things better. But at least the college of education I work in is getting copies of How to Be an Anti-Racist for all faculty, students, and staff.
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There’s a free online anti-racism training being offered through the end of the month here: https://www.driep.org/anti-racism-training
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Thank you! Just registered.
Former Capital of the Confederacy update:
Things are still fairly intense here.
I’d been pulling the Gatorade cart until Monday at marches throughout and every one has been poignant and wonderful.
I’ll be getting Covid tested this weekend although it’s been fairly easy to relatively distance and I’ve been wearing double masks.
Supposedly we will have four of the Confederate monuments removed at some point, but the people have removed one small confederate monument themselves and last night pulled down the Christopher Columbus monument, lit it on fire for a while and then put it in a pond.
I had to return my Gatorade cart (I was borrowing it) but I’ve joined the bike brigade to stay in the loop for when they need bike walls to block traffic.
I’m thankful for the resources here, thank you everyone for posting courses and videos.
I’ve been working on some equity objectives for my business and what I hope to be a very clear checklist plan through 2021. Does anyone else have a small business who’s working on something similar? It would be great to compare notes/ideas.
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Those pictures give me so much joy.
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There are some very good memes about this:
(The Instagram link wasn’t working):
Also very theoretical advice in case anyone was curious about the physics of statues and obelisks:
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Yes there have been!
Nearly immediately after it happened and acquaintance of mine posted on Instagram that Columbus “seemed to fall harder than he was pushed” and they haven’t stopped since then.
Good riddance to that statue-I’m assuming any of the smaller ones here will continue to be removed by the revolutionaries.
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no one was hurt.