Inclusive_Cougars - 2021 Springboard

Inclusive Cougars Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion (CSDI)

Getting Started

CSDI

Introductions and Goals for Today ▪ Overview of words and concepts associated with antiracism, equity, diversity and inclusion to enhance further conversations ▪ Dialogue about current understanding of language

▪ Gain five strategies for engaging in dialogue with inclusive language

CSDI

Community Expectations ▪ Share Airtime ▪ Listen with an Open Mind ▪ Use “I” Statements

▪ Honor Identity ▪ Honor Confidentiality ▪ Practice Empathy CSDI

Guiding Assumptions: At SIUE We Acknowledge ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

We all have bias We all make mistakes We all want to belong in some way Identities are social constructs Socialization creates our understandings of identities and language ▪ We are all implicated in actions, language and policies which further perpetuate bias and discrimination ▪ We can all combat the socialization we experience to push back against these inevitabilities CSDI

Inclusive Language and You

Words You Will Hear ▪ Privilege

▪ Power ▪ Oppression ▪ Diversity ▪ Inclusion ▪ Social Justice ▪ Equality ▪ Equity ▪ Prejudice ▪ Discrimination ▪ Marginalized/Minoritized ▪ Inclusive Language

CSDI

Big 10 + Social Identities ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Age Citizenship & National Origin Disability/Ability Status Ethnicity Political Affiliation Race and Color Religion Sex and Gender Sexuality/Sexual Identity/Sexual Orientation Socioeconomic Status & Class CSDI

Identity Memberships Often Members of Dominant Identity Groups...

▪ May be taught they are “normal” ▪ May be less aware of social privilege and other groups’ feelings, concerns or experiences ▪ May be socially conscious or socially unaware ▪ May show defensiveness, guilt, doubt, or rationalization (rather than empathy or urgency for change) regarding discrimination

Often Members of Marginalized Identity Group...

▪ May have history of dealing with negative societal messages, repeatedly ▪ May feel hyper-visible or invisible ▪ May have to work hard to seek out similar others ▪ May be socially conscious or socially unaware ▪ May seek acknowledgment, empathy, & urgency for change (rather than rationalization or guilt) when highlighting discrimination or marginalization CSDI

Social Identity

Dominant Identity

Marginalized Identity

Age

Young and middle-aged adults

Elderly people, teenagers, or children

Race and Color

White people

Black, Brown, Latino/-a/-x, Asian, Pacific Islander, Indigenous, Middle Eastern & Multiracial people

Ethnicity

Those of primarily European descent

Those living in the U.S. whose ancestry is descended from places outside of Europe, and Jewish and Romani people of varied ancestral & national origins

Citizenship & National Origin

Citizenship: Legal citizens of and/or born in the country that reside in; Green card holders National Origin: Immigrants from European and predominantly White countries

Citizenship: Those who are undocumented in the country they reside in; Immigrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees who have migrated due to political unrest and/or violence National Origin: Immigrants from non-European and nonpredominantly White countries; Those from nations not recognized by the U.N.

Religion

Christians, Protestants, Catholics

Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Atheists, Zoroastrians, those who do not practice Christianity

Sex & Gender

Sex: Men Gender: Cisgender men and women (cis- means ‘same’.

Cisgender people identify with the sex they were designated at birth)

Sex: Women, People who are intersex Gender: Transgender, non-binary & genderqueer people (includes those who identify differently than designated at birth and those who don’t identify as either a man or a woman)

Disability/Ability Status

Those without learning, developmental, physical, and emotional disabilities

People with disabilities (learning, developmental, emotional, physical, illiteracy)

Sexual Orientation

Heterosexual people

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer, Pansexual, Asexual, and others who don’t identify as straight/heterosexual

Class, SocioEconomic Status

Middle-class and wealthy people, people with reliably wealthy social networks

Working class, low-income, chronically poor people, those without reliably wealthy social networks

Political Affiliation

Those represented effectively by political representatives or well- Those excluded from democratic processes (gerrymandered areas, established lobbying groups; Those with access, knowledge, and those convicted of felonies); Those without influential representatives time to influence political processes or lobbying groups to consistently represent their interests

Cycle of Liberation

Cycle of Socialization

Systemic Awareness

Necessary Language (Kendi, 2019) ▪ Racist: One who is supporting a racist policy through their actions or inaction or expressing a racial idea ▪ Antiracist: One who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing an antiracist idea ▪ Race: A power construct of collected or merged difference that lives socially ▪ Racism: A marriage of racist policies and racist ideas that produces and normalizes racial inequity ▪ Racial inequity: When two or more racial groups are not standing on equitable footing (e.g. owning homes) ▪ Racial equity: When two or more racial groups are standing on equitable footing CSDI

Necessary Language (Kendi, 2019) ▪ Racist policy: A measure that produces or sustains racial inequity between racial groups (other terms: institutional racism, structural racism, systemic racism-redundant)

▪ Antiracist policy: A measure that produces or sustains racial equity between racial groups ▪ Racist ideas: Any idea that suggests one racial group is inferior or superior to another racial group in any way ▪ Antiracist idea: Any idea that suggests one racial group is equal to another racial group in any way CSDI

"Racist" and "antiracist" are like peelable name tags that are placed and replaced based on what someone is doing or not doing, supporting or expressing in each moment. These are not permanent tattoos. No one becomes a racist or antiracist. We can only strive to be one or the other. We can knowingly strive to be a racist. We can knowingly strive to be an antiracist. Like fighting an addiction, being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular selfexamination.

-Kendi, 2019, p. 25

Cycle of Liberation

Inclusive Language: Vernon Wall’s Five Things to Ponder 1. Press Pause! Let others take the lead on how and when to describe their own social identities.

2. Show others you care through your language choices, rather than show that you’re “politically correct.”

3. Avoid “correcting” language usage that you find “wrong." Instead, address the statement or word choice through “I” statements that share personal impact.

4. Seek first to understand others’ ideas about identity, then to be understood.

5. Check your ego at the door.

CSDI

Partner Up Questions to consider: What's resonating with you after this overview of concepts? How can this help you in having productive conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion and antiracism in your time at SIUE and in the greater community?

What are some personal barriers for you on this journey with inclusive language?

How are you complicit in systems that perpetuate bias and discrimination?

Questions?

CONTACT US

Lindy Wagner Director, CSDI 618-650-3180 linwagn@siue.edu

Tarsha Moore Assistant Director, CSDI 618-650-3180 tarmoor@siue.edu

Maddy McKenzie Graduate Assistant, CSDI 618-650-3180 madmcke@siue.edu