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Define & Discuss
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“The only way to undo racism is to consistently identify and describe it — and then dismantle it." —IbramX. Kendi.
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Intersectionality
Intersectionality is a theory of identity and of oppression. Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989), a lawyer and legal scholar, was the first to use the word intersectionality to describe how the oppression faced by Black women was distinct from oppression solely from race or sex. Read this explanation of intersectionality extracted from UNI Professors Catherine H. Palczewski, Victoria DeFrancisco, and Danielle Dick McGeough’s book Gender in Communication: A Critical Introduction. Then watch this video that uses music as a metaphor for the concept of intersectionality. (Video length 5:39).
video by Interactive Digital Studies students, Mac Vos with Darnell Eveleth and Jacob Chaplin
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
At the start of the November 19, 2020 episode of The Purple Couch Courageous Conversations, UNI’s Director of Diversity, Inclusion, & Social Justice, Jamie Butler Chidozie defines and distinguishes between the terms diversity, equity, and inclusion. Watch from 18:45-20:40 to hear her definitions. Watch it all to learn more about the work of the President's Inclusion, Transformative Social Justice & Advocacy Advisory Committee. Panelists Jamie Butler-Chidozie and UNI Professor Doug Mupasiri joined moderator UNI President Mark Nook to discuss equity, diversity, and inclusion work at UNI. Also, explore this handout which defines diversity, equity, and inclusion. (Video length 1 hour).
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Antiracist
In his book, How To Be An Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi defines an antiracist as “one who is supporting an antiracist policy through their actions or expressing an antiracist idea” (13). Listen to Ibram X. Kendi define and discuss the concept of an antiracist in this short video (Video length 5:40). Then watch leaders in the Cedar Valley discuss Kendi’s work in this Cedar Valley Common Read Panel Discussion. (Video length 32: 42).
Power
In this 30-minute video accompanied by this example, Professors Kathryn B. Golsan and C. Kyle Rudick talk about power—what it is, where it comes from, and how it operates—especially as it relates to race and racism. They explore two types of power: 1) the power of influence and 2) the power of normal and how these types of power are used against calls for racial justice. They conclude by asking listeners to reflect on their own uses of power and to commit themselves to building relationships across and through race. (Video length 26:26).
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Illustration by Interactive Digital Studies students, Dylan Parker with Jake Chaplin and Quin Grabinski
Caste
What is caste? How is the concept of caste related to race? Listen to the episode America’s Caste System on NPR’s Throughline. This podcast is an interview with Isabel Wilkerson, former Chicago Bureau Chief of the New York Times and Pulitzer Prize winner, about her book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. As you listen to the podcast, use this guide created by Julie Johnson, who works in UNI's Office of Teacher Education. The guide will help you process the information, engage in discussion, and apply the concepts to the Cedar Valley. (Podcast length 40 minutes).
*Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents was our 2021 Cedar Valley Community Book Read. Visit the Common Read Website for resources and watch panel discussion videos here.
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Whiteness
In this 30-minute video "Coming to Terms with Whiteness," Isaac Lindauer, a sophomore at UNI majoring in history and philosophy, defines white people, good white people, white trash, white supremacy, race, and people of color. (Video length 29:26).
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Implicit Bias
Theatre major, Thayne Lamb, developed a discussion guide to accompany Episode 2 of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man: White Allergies. Watch this 5 minute video on implicit bias and then explore this discussion guide with others or on your own. (Video length 13:04).
24/7 Wall St
It is important to acknowledge and define how racism is present in our own communities. Race-based socioeconomic disparities have been a persistent problem in the United States, manifesting in the form of gaps in income levels, likelihood of college education, and incarceration rates. This study conducted by 24/7 Wall St., explores how various metropolitan areas in the country measure up in terms of socioeconomic disparities between Black and white residents and present a list of places where disparities are most pronounced. The study finds that most of these locations are concentrated in the Midwest, where systemic racial segregation has a long history.
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Systemic Inequality
Smithsonian Magazine offers 158 resources to understand racism in America. These articles, videos, podcasts and websites from the Smithsonian chronicle the history of anti-black violence and inequality in the United States. (Nominated for inclusion in the Quest by Jorge De Leon.)