WWU Students for Ethnic Studies

10/02/2020

Action Item Pt 2!
An email campaign to Administrators:
As previously mentioned we are waiting to hear whether or not we will be receiving funding from the state for hiring Ethnic Studies Faculty.
Efforts to gain support from our Administration need to continue. In order to apply pressure and show support for these efforts we are asking your participation in an email campaign to relevant Admin.
See the attached document for instructions and the email template!
And a big thanks to everyone who participated in our email campaign to legislators! About 20 people participated.

Letter Template to Administrators Instructions for emailing Administrators: Copy and paste language from email template. If you would like to add a personal anecdote, feel free at any point. Sign your name! Copy and paste the list of Admin emails at the bottom of this template. Share our posts...

07/02/2020

Here's a quick 5 minute action you can take to advocate Ethnic Studies funding at the state level. See the attached document for instructions, the email template and email list.

For Context:
We have been lobbying at the state legislature, and our efforts have led to obtaining a sponsored budget proviso from Gerry Pollet in the House of Representatives. If passed, 350,000 will go directly towards hiring three new faculty in Ethnic Studies. We will learn of the final decision from the committee regarding our funding proposal within the next few weeks.

Of course, if these efforts are successful, this will be a major step forward. But the work will be far from over. We need buy in from Administration to work with us and faculty advisers to create the structure and provide additional funding for the program.

Thank you to everyone who takes some time to email legislators and please stay posted for more action items in the next week or so!

Letter Template to Legislators Instructions for emailing legislators: Copy and paste language from email template. The personal anecdote section OPTIONAL! Please delete this section from your copy of the email if you choose to not share. The list of legislators’ emails are at the bottom of this...

28/01/2020

We had an exciting opportunity last week to participate in a work session in the WA state senate higher ed committee to discuss 'The Importance of Ethnic Studies in Higher Education'. This took place on Thursday 1/23.

The work session was a time for the Senators on the Higher Ed Committee to consider the facts, data, and personal narratives which support Ethnic Studies in higher ed.
Three of us on the SFES board testified as to why Ethnic Studies matters for us and how our exposure to it has changed our lives. This is a big step toward getting Ethnic Studies here Western Washington University

Thank you to Sen. Emily Randall and Sen. Marko Liias for engaging with us and the other panelists on this important issue. Thank you for all the work you both do!
And thanks to the support from our faculty advisers and the other panelists who testified.

Follow the link the the TVW recording of the session (start at 26:40)

10/01/2020

Check out this great opportunity!
"On April 29- May 1st, the 8th Annual Rising Voices: Climate Resilience through Intergenerational and Place-based Knowledges workshop will be held in partnership with the Lummi Nation and the Northwest Indian College, as well the National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, LiKEN Knowledge, Haskell Indian Nations University, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management, the National Science Foundation.

The Deadline to apply was December 18th, however the deadline has been extended to Friday 1/9, at Noon."

Follow this link to sign up https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=DBRG3G_i70OwrgDyV_R4_9-hhDAxR7NAih28MT7ips9UN01DVjFCNUYySjBPNDlDTlNSVVRVUFdDWC4u

"We encourage applications from Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, community members, educators, scientists, and practitioners who are interested in bringing together multiple knowledge systems from Indigenous and Earth science perspectives. The Rising Voices Program facilitates intercultural, relational-based approaches for understanding and adapting to extreme weather and climate events, variability, and change. It supports a growing network of collaborators with diverse cultural, community, geographic, and educational backgrounds. For more information about Rising Voices and the workshop, please visit https://risingvoices.ucar.edu/or contact Heather Lazrus ([email protected]) or Julie Maldonado ([email protected]) "

21/11/2019

If anyone still needs a class to take Winter Q! History 490 Gender and Sexuality in Modern India (TR 2-3:350)
Taught by a new, rad professor of color!
It's 400 level but if you email the prof she is happy to grant an override to anyone interested.

07/11/2019

On Nov 12th the Supreme Court will be reviewing the three cases challenging Trumps' decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
Check out the Home is Here march happening in support of DACA! The march goes from the Statue in Liberty in New York ending at the Supreme Court on Nov 12th. This mobilization is part of the bigger movement for DACA and TPS (Temporary Protected Status) called

We are trying to get folks to join us in going to Olympia to demonstrate and show support for DACA and TPS, next Tuesday the 12th.
If you are interested in going and are able to potentially miss school, please comment below or message us or Blue Group to say that you are interested. We would leave in the morning around 9am and come back in the evening, tbd.

This march is a mobilization that is part of the larger national coalition campaign. Learn more about the national campaign by visiting http://www.homeishere.us

07/11/2019

Sharing this post from last month from the Department of Ethnic Studies at California State University, East Bay. (Please read the caption)
We can take this beautiful altar as inspiration. How do we continue to be grounded in our communities, the joy and the mourning, while here at WWU?

Sometimes Ethnic Studies must open up a space for mourning because it just doesn't feel right to go on teaching and studying as if this didn't happen.

To that end, there is now a small altar in the student lounge dedicated to the memory of Atatiana K. Jefferson, murdered by Fort Worth police this last weekend.

Feel free to come by, add to the altar (flowers, mementos, etc.), and spend some time in quiet reflection. Lounge is located at MI 4105.

Altar will be up for the rest of the week.

07/11/2019

Hi everyone!
Northwest Indian College (NWIC) will be hosting an All Our Relations dinner Nov 26th 5-7:30pm. See this as a decolonized Thanksgiving celebration! If you are interested in going as a group with Students for Ethnic Studies, please comment below or message us. We have to RSVP soon!