@ISASaxonists's Threads
Come along as we celebrate Black men and women who have contributed to academia. This month we are going to honor these brilliant academics in history who you may not know about. Let's learn about them together. #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistoryMonth2020 #BlackLivesMatter Enjoy!
Day 1: Edward Bouchet (Sept.15, 1852- Oct.28, 1918) graduated from Yale with a PhD in Physics in 1876. He was among the first of 20 Americans to be awarded a PhD in Physics (the 6th of any race at Yale). Due to racial discrimination, Bouchet was unable to #BlackHistoryMonth 1/2 
secure a university position so he moved to Philly & became a teacher at the Institute for Colored Youth (now called Cheyney University of Pennsylvania). Read more about Edward Bouchet here: bit.ly/38ZQ9Cm 2/2 #BlackHistoryMonth2020
For those who ask for #antiracist tips & recommended readings, I've compiled all previous threads with info in this meta-thread for easy access. Use as a resource. Bookmark to have them all together. Will continue to add more. #commit2change #antiracism #BlackLivesMatter
1. A thread which can be used as a resource to show misappropriation of medieval symbols. #medievaltwitter
2. Info on #whiteprivilege, how to be #antiracist and how to be a better ally. Suggested short readings, articles and videos found in this thread:
Thread:
I’ve been thinking abt allyship lately & wyte ppl who genuinely want to be/do better. It can sometimes be hard to ask questions. I recently reread Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility: Why It’s so Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” & it got me thinking. 1/38
I’ve been thinking abt allyship lately & wyte ppl who genuinely want to be/do better. It can sometimes be hard to ask questions. I recently reread Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility: Why It’s so Hard to Talk to White People About Racism” & it got me thinking. 1/38
Linked here: bit.ly/37kOQx8 Very often I hear that this person/that person are “good” people. It didn’t click until a few years ago that some wyte ppl think being liberal/democrat or being generally “good” people means you are an ally. That’s not how it works. 2/
MLK critiqued the “good” racism of his liberal allies. These types police our words & tactics like you know better what works. Believe me, we have tried all the polite ways & they don’t work.
Another point is, you don’t get to tell me as a POC (or other BIPOC) how we should 3/
Another point is, you don’t get to tell me as a POC (or other BIPOC) how we should 3/
THREAD: An edited compilation of Beowulf is out. Many of you will be using it in your classrooms. There are some good pieces in this ie) @b_a_saltzman, D. Hawdbawnik, @MDockrayMiller, M. Pareles & @MaryKateHurley, et al. But, please don’t overlook some very problematic things 1/
in this book. Overall this book seems incredibly troublesome & has some blatant plagiarism which my colleague @adam_miya will address. This book acknowledges that it discusses race and race issues but is absent of PoC scholars. 2/26
The editors took the time to acknowledge that in their intro rather than just include PoC in their book. They used a handful of non-early medievalist scholars as shields when some of their work is barely relevant. The pieces on race are almost entirely absent of CRT. 3/26
Let's honor some #BIWOC that are scholars this month by learning a little about some of their work each day. This is going to be our #Advent2019 project. Bookmark the entire thread at the end of the month. Happy #antiracist learning! #medievaltwitter #shakerace #AdventCalendar
Day 1: A fierce Early Modernist scholar, Dr. Margo Hendricks, is a role model for many of us. She gave a talk this year at #raceb4race. Listen to it &/or read the transcript here: folger.edu/institute/scho…
#medievaltwitter #shakerace #criticalrace #genderstudies #antiracism
#medievaltwitter #shakerace #criticalrace #genderstudies #antiracism
Day 2: Medievalist, Dr. Carissa Harris writes publicly abt issues like rape & bro culture & the Middle Ages: slate.com/human-interest…
Her book: Obscene Pedagogies discussing🍆, sex ed & the middle ages is fab: amzn.to/33HedH5
#medievaltwitter #shakerace #MeToo #chaucer
Her book: Obscene Pedagogies discussing🍆, sex ed & the middle ages is fab: amzn.to/33HedH5
#medievaltwitter #shakerace #MeToo #chaucer
THREAD: Hoping that #antiracist education is coming along ok. Glad some of you're reading or bookmarking antiracist threads for later. Keep it up. Being antiracist is a journey, something we do for life. More resources below. #medievaltwitter #academicracism #shakerace 1/19
There are many ways & things to do to be antiracist. This thread may balance out @erik_kaars thread of horror Today’s list of resources includes shorter readings that won’t take up loads of time. #medievaltwitter #academicchatter #shakerace 2/19
Everyone’s busy, so these shorter readings can supplement your antiracist education & work as you grow. These are also good resources for classes if you want secondary readings. You don’t have to read these all at once. These readings are for everyone. 3/19
THREAD: #AcademicTwitter in case you're interested, the #ISXX listserv is still 🗑️🔥. #Racism is everywhere in #academia. A key point w/ systemic racism is there's always pushback/resistance. Listen, learn, change. We're witnessing resistance in real time #medievaltwitter 1/16
Here are some of the greatest (and I mean terrible) 1-liners from the listserv so far:
"I am English and have no problem with the use of the term Anglo-Saxon. I therefore cancel my membership."
You're also racist. 2/16
"I am English and have no problem with the use of the term Anglo-Saxon. I therefore cancel my membership."
You're also racist. 2/16
"I suggested no. 7 'International Society for Anglo-saxon Studies'...it has some continuity with the old name & the acronym, while removing the problematic term "Anglo-Saxon." The society would thus remain recognisably the same org."
The society will remain exclusionary/racist.
The society will remain exclusionary/racist.
THREAD: Time for another tasty thread with resources. No matter if you're a scholar, student, or general public, if you're #antiracist & #antifascist, here's a thread abt misappropriation of medieval symbols. Enjoy/ be disgusted. 1/19 #medievaltwitter #academictwitter #shakerace
The runic symbol (called the 'Odal'/'Othala') represented the "O" sound in Germanic languages before adoption of the Latin alphabet. It's reconstructed proto-Germanic name means "heritage." The far-right adopted this symbol (early 20th cent) to construct a mythic Aryan past. 2/19
The Tyr/Tir rune: another symbol misappropriated by the far-right in their attempt to idealize Nordic &/or Aryan heritage. It represents the letter "T" in the runic alphabet & the symbol also represented the Norse god Tyr, originally steming from proto-indo/euro god Dyeus. 3/19
THREAD: In case you are sitting in the back: NOT BEING RACIST DOESN'T MEAN YOU ARE ANTIRACIST. HERE'S A HANDY READING LIST PRESENTED IN SHOUTY ALL CAPS FOR ALL YOU MATURE READERS. #medievaltwitter #shakerace #AcademicChatter #twitterstorians #iloveoldenglish
1/22
1/22
2/22 Start with this book by @DrIbram on how to be antiracist. It is a fantastic guide. If you read nothing else, read: 'How to be Anti-Racist': penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564299/h…
3/22 Racism and its relationship with capitalism is something we need to think more deeply about. Start here with: Race, Nation, Class by Etienne Balibar and Immanuel Wallerstein
versobooks.com/books/510-race…
versobooks.com/books/510-race…
I don't want this to be a discussion without @mikedrout so I am not blocking him although he has blocked me. But I think there are some things that need to be addressed, so I'll do that here and he's always welcome to dialogue. 1/11
You're right. You posted this before everything came to a head with ISXX, but that doesn't negate that issues have been a problem in the field for decades. You know they exist. *coughs* Frantzen-gate *coughs* & that essay attacking a senior female scholar in the field, etc. 2/
Fair, but you are still a scholar in the field. ISXX was a reflection of larger issues. What are you doing to curve racism within the field, in your classroom and otherwise. What are your thoughts on rampant sexual abuse and bullying? Say something, do something. 3/
THREAD: I know it's Monday but what better day than to give us some more work, right? Many of you have come to me or asked other scholars of color what you can do, where you can start & what you are doing wrong. Come with me, let me be your guide. #medievaltwitter #shakerace 1/25
Lots of you have been working on speaking out, speaking to your students & trying to amplify voices of Scholars of Color in your chosen fields. I say this because I know that there are people listening &learning in fields outside of Medieval Studies. Hi, we support you too. 2/25
Keep doing that.
Today let's talk about what it means to be 'doing the work.' As Dr. Angela Davis says: "in a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist." In other words, like @DrIbram notes "the opposite of racist is not 'not racist'". 3/25
Today let's talk about what it means to be 'doing the work.' As Dr. Angela Davis says: "in a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist." In other words, like @DrIbram notes "the opposite of racist is not 'not racist'". 3/25
THREAD: This is your PSA that we still have work to do, so continue to #commit2change. I want to address something else with regards to racism that generally gets forgotten or ignored. When some of us BIPOC put ourselves on the front lines, we know there is one element 1/25
of this activism that we are doing alone. We become targets in ways that non-white people aren't. Our vision or message is often lost because people cannot look past who we are as "others." I know some, a very large, I will add, were VERY concerned 2/25
about the WaPo article's thin explanation of the Middle Ages or making other nitpicky points about the field. Your concern was how this was damaging the public's understanding of what we do as scholars. @erik_kaars and I read through the comments 3/25
THREAD: So it looks like the name-change passed. Congratulations. I want you to remember that this is the least you can do. The lowest of bars. Worry more about changing the field than you are a name-change from hereon in. 1/15
What you should've been doing for years was listening & working on these difficult issues before an implosion. They aren't easy and aren't comfortable. Most of you are good people & have good intentions but good intentions are not enough to combat racism, sexism, etc. 2/15
You also voted for more diversity. Bravo. It took you SO long to do this, even though I gather many of you have wanted this for years. Let this be a reminder to advocate for change when you see it. Don't wait for a crisis. We lose too many good people. 3/15
THREAD: There are already regret votes. People who voted NO in haste and have changed their minds but can't vote again. Let me just say something about that. I'm sorry you can't vote again, but there is an important point to illustrate about racism here. 1/10 #medievaltwitter
I voted NO and now I want to change my vote = I voted no because who cares about PoC/marginalized voices dignity and safety, but hear hear, I want to switch my vote thanks to all the white people and big names in the field who have convinced me that times have changed. 2/10
Some of us have been saying for years that the field was rampant with racism. We have experienced, as our brothers and sisters in other fields have, blatant racism, as well as micro/macroaggressions for years. Stealth racism we experience would make some of your heads spin. 3/
So there has been some discussion about bullying and harassment. We have a history of having academic bullies and by "we" I mean established, senior and even ECR scholars (like the one who did that Beowulf compilation). 1/10 #medievaltwitter #academictwitter
But this starts from the top. Maybe these individuals were bullied and abused and this is cyclical behavior. Maybe they too are also scarred by this abuse, but it's time to stop this. Your students and other scholars fear you and don't respect you. 2/10
You have created an atmosphere of fear. And we have the perfect illustration of how this works. The established "greatest historian in his field under the age of 60" was calling grad students 'twats', calling me an Imperialist and advising people not to listen to @erik_kaars . 3/
Morning ISAS,
Since I was asked about points I want addressed in an email from someone representing you I will list them here:
1) Write and include a policy on harassment. Be firm with it and quit protecting predators. You owe victims an apology. 1/10 #MedievalTwitter
Since I was asked about points I want addressed in an email from someone representing you I will list them here:
1) Write and include a policy on harassment. Be firm with it and quit protecting predators. You owe victims an apology. 1/10 #MedievalTwitter
2) Strip lifetime membership from Sexual Predator. Do not give him more spaces to abuse people.
3) You are finally considering a name-change. It's about time. /2
3) You are finally considering a name-change. It's about time. /2
4) Include ECR on your Board. They have demonstrated time and time again that they are more invested in saving this field than most everyone on that board. Do not dare approach vulnerable MoC/PoC because they do not need the hassle of working with that current board. /3
