Meeting Facilitators: Dr. Ryuko Kubota and Dr. Meghan Corella
Background and overall objectives: Race-based caucuses/affinity groups allow people with a shared racial identity to come together to connect and learn about race, racism, and their racial identities (see “Caucuses as a Racial Justice Strategy,” p. 2) and can serve as a powerful tool for constructing critical identities and connecting those identities to broader systems and structures of power (Varghese et al., 2019). The following objectives and discussion questions will guide our first meeting; please let us know if you’d like to suggest any additions or other changes.
- Racialized/faculty of color caucus group: Through these discussions, we’re hoping to build a sense of solidarity through examining both similarities and differences across our experiences of racism and racialization, particularly as they relate to our work in LLED.
- Terminology and our racial identities:
- With regard to ethnoracial identity, how do you identify? What term(s) do you use to identify? How have you been positioned or identified by others throughout your life?
- How do you feel about the term ‘racialized’? About ‘person of color’? ‘BIPOC’? ‘White’? Other racial identity terms? What have you noticed are some of the effects of using and not using these terms (both in general and when talking about yourself)?
- How does your racial identity(ies) intersect with other dimensions of your identity and positionality? (e.g., gender, class, languages, rank in LLED, political commitments)
- Our racial identities and our work in language and literacy education:
- How does white supremacy affect the ways we live our professional lives (e.g., teaching, research, and service)?
- From your perspective, what does it mean to be a racialized person/ a person of color? What does it mean to be a racialized _[insert other dimensions of your identity]__ in language and literacy education in particular? At UBC?
- How do you think your students understand what it means to be a person/teacher of color in the field of language and literacy education? A white person? Based on your observations, how do students’ interpretations of this vary within and across ethnoracial groups?
- How have your students “read” or positioned you ethnoracially? (How) do you discuss your own and your students’ racial identities in your classes and mentoring activities?
- (How) do you discuss your racial identity and your positionality in your research? In your service activities?
- Terminology and our racial identities:
- White caucus group: Through these discussions, we’re hoping to continue the process of building emotional stamina and examining the reasons for and consequences of white fragility (see Robin DiAngelo’s work) so as to better engage in and lead discussions about race and racism, particularly as they relate to our work in LLED.
- Terminology and our racial identities:
- With regard to ethnoracial identity, how do you identify? What term(s) do you use to identify? How have you been positioned or identified by others throughout your life?
- How do you feel about the term ‘white’? What have you noticed are some of the effects of using and of avoiding these terms (both in general and when talking about yourself)?
- How does your racial identity intersect with other dimensions of your identity and positionality? (e.g., gender, class, languages, age, rank in LLED, political commitments)
- Our racial identities and our work in language and literacy education:
- From your perspective, what does it mean to be a white person? What does it mean to be a white _[insert other dimensions of your identity]__ in language and literacy education in particular? At UBC?
- How do you think your students understand what it means to be a white person/teacher in the field of language and literacy education? A racialized person? Based on your observations, how do students’ interpretations of this vary within and across ethnoracial groups?
- How have your students “read” or positioned you ethnoracially? (How) do you discuss your own and your students’ racial identities in your classes and mentoring activities?
- (How) do you discuss your racial identity and your positionality in your research? In your service activities?
- What are some ways we can improve in our efforts (individually and as a department) to address and counter interpersonal and institutional racism?
- Terminology and our racial identities:
References:
Caucuses as a Racial Justice Strategy: What We Have Learned (July 2019) [PDF file]. Retrieved from Washington Race Equity & Justice Initiative (REJI) Organizational Race Equity Toolkit, https://justleadwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Caucuses-as-a-Racial-Justice-Strategy-JustLead-WA.pdf
Varghese, M., Daniels, J. R., & Park, C. C. (2019). Structuring disruption within university-based teacher education programs: Possibilities and challenges of race-based caucuses. Teachers College Record, 121(4), 1-34.