Institutions bend over backwards to protect right-wing white students, but students of color are never extended even the slightest benefit of the doubt.
Every single bit of campus is a teaching and learning space. And @ASU has definitely taught these students something--these Black students have learned whose voices matter at ASU, and whose don't. They've learned who the university welcomes, and who it doesn't.
The Right has done for decades what it accuses the Left of doing: creating narrow limits for speech in order to drum up outrage and grievance, then deploy the resulting pressure to silence their opponents. And university admins fall for it every time (or sympathize with it, tbh)
Anyone who argues that universities are leftist bastions has failed to reckon with administrators who bow and scrape every time a conservative gets their dander up.
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It's a symbol of fertility and renewal from ancient Egyptian and pagan European rituals later co-opted by 16th century Germans and then 19th century Americans to celebrate a holiday that the early church timed with traditional solstice celebrations as a PR move.
Historians: SUPER FUN AT HOLIDAY PARTIES
Them: wow this mistletoe brings up such great holiday memories
Historians: let us tell you about the role of evergreen plants in ancient near eastern fertility rituals
I am fortunate to have coverage, and I realize that. But enrolling in our new health coverage for the upcoming year and seeing my premium increase, while the deductible doubles too, is pretty frustrating. Functionally, it's a pay cut.
The fact we tie health insurance to employment in this country has always been absolutely bonkers. It's an unsustainable disaster.
I wonder how many folx at small colleges like mine are seeing their institutions "find budget efficiencies" by getting Ford Fiesta type coverage, so they can say they're "preserving salaries" while actually increasing both faculty and staff's out of pocket costs.
Every year at this time we're driving back from my mom's place in PA, and we catch the OSU-Michigan game on the radio, always with the Michigan announcers, because they're just...them. And awesomely so. This year was fun, and a great way to send out Branstetter and Dierdorf.
"JIM. JIM. WE DON'T HAVE A DEFENDER ON HIM OOOHHHHHH NO"
*Incompletion*
"SUCH GOOD COVERAGE ON THAT PLAY JIM"
Branstetter: "TOUCHDOWN, MMMICHIGAN!!!"
Dierdorf: *pounding happily on the desk in the background*
Maybe movements for justice--and the people who comprise them--shouldn't limit themselves to what does well with the centrist white focus groups, despite what the Savvy Analysts™ think.
(Notice all the Savvy Analysts™ are white men. As are all those who QT them approvingly or respond with gushing praise to their "don't let woke politics ruin Democrats' chances" takes. I'm not exaggerating--literally every reply I saw was from a white dude)
"Well, Dr. King, you make some good arguments, but there are key white voter blocs who just aren't comfortable with all this 'social justice wokeness,' so we're gonna have to ask you to cool it with the marching. Also, 'we shall overcome' seems a bit too confrontational..."
How many tenured faculty and admins lament that "my students can't write" yet say or do nothing when the faculty who actually teach writing are treated as disposable commodities, deserving of neither money or security?
No, individual faculty may not be able to change this trend. But if we actually demonstrated solidarity with our adjunct/term/precarious colleagues, as opposed to ignoring them or simply mouthing platitudes, we could leverage our power in service of what higher ed *should* be.
What would it look like if your adjunct faculty were invited to attend dept meetings? Participate in curricular/pedagogical conversations? Were represented in faculty governance? If f/t faculty lobbied for a path to full-time status for longer-term adjuncts?