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In Conversation with Current & Former Students: Putting Racial Justice and Anti-Racism into Praxis5/12/2021
by Jesica Siham Fernández The following reflections offered by Chloe, Jen, Josie and Ale are powerful, strong and bold testaments to praxis. They share, in their own words, what they do, how they do it, and most of all why they do what they do in line with an anti-racist and racial justice praxis. What experiences have you had in your professional, academic and/or personal life that have allowed you to center your knowledge of Critical Race & Ethnic Studies? "Currently I am working on putting together an informational guidebook on overdose and substance use prevention strategies specifically for working with communities of color. We cannot address the opioid epidemic without also addressing the War on Drugs and its roots in anti-Black racism. Harm reduction groups are doing some of the most radical work currently and I am most inspired by the work to create trauma-informed systems and care." - Josie "I plan to become a high-school teacher, where I can begin to teach students Critical Race and Ethnic Studies curricula at a younger age. This past summer, I used my knowledge in these fields to develop the Santa Cruz 2020 Black Youth Empowerment Workshop wherein I led a group of Black students in discussion about Black history as it related to the most recent wave of the Black Lives Matter movement. It was so empowering for me especially to see how this knowledge could be put to use to uplift those who have historically been told that they are powerless, by showing the ways in which power structures and dynamics could and should be flipped on their heads." - Chloe "Being a Public Defender is not just a job, it is my purpose. The anti-racial teachings I acquired through Ethnic Studies have made me a better advocate. The “justice” system as we have been taught it, is not just nor justice. It is simply the legal system established by white, conservative, old men. While I have chosen to work within this system, I have also chosen to be a holistic defense attorney. The clients whom I represent need more than just criminal representation. They need immigration representation, social workers, case managers, housing representation, and have nutritional and health needs. The power of the community is what truly validates the dignity and humanity of each client." - Jen "Currently, I engage in qualitative research from a Chicana Feminist Epistemology (CFE) lens to ensure the voices and lives of my research contributors are truly captured. As a framework influenced by Critical Race scholars, CFE pushes researchers to push back against traditional, hegemonic forms of research and instead engage in a process holistically, including the participants as collaborators and experts as well. The call from Chicana Feminists to challenge objectivity, and the sense of political urgency to address educational inequities in Chicana/o communities was not only important, but necessary." - Ale What does "anti-racism" and "racial justice" mean to you? How do you put your definition or your anti-racist values into practice in what you do? "We live in a country that stands on racial inequality, slavery, lynching, and oppression. As Bryan Stevenson says, “slavery is the narrative of racial difference and ideology of white supremacy.” Justice is to reimagine safety for all. As a woman in the law, safety is not to cage a human being, take everything from them, and then expect them to be “better” when released. That is not justice or safety. Justice is to achieve Racial equity. This isn’t a single action solution. We demand reparations for Black Americans, training of leaders, communities, and young leaders, as well as investing in education, health, mental health, food, housing, safety, employment, and transportation." - Jen "To me being anti-racist means doing all that you can to ensure that racism is eradicated from the spaces in which you occupy.Anti-racism also requires introspection and an acknowledgement of one's own privileges and how intersectionality leaves some more marginalized than others. I put this definition into practice by challenging the racism inherent in the education system and using my privilege as a lightskin woman to stand up for those who have been more marginalized by this system than myself." - Chloe "For me, anti-racism is part of the natural progression of an inclusive society. The US was created through imperialism, was built by racialized oppression of people of color, particularly Black and Indigenous people. This legacy can be seen at every level, from the individual to larger systems and structures of government. I see my place in this work in the field of Public Health, to promote research built around sociocultural competence to inform health care, resource creation and allocation, and policy. Community-based participatory research is something I’m interested in developing skills in." - Josie "In simple terms social justice means redistributing and making access to wealth, resources and opportunities equitable. Racial justice acknowledges that it is not only about eliminating discrimination but also the overt systems in place that harm communities of color, particularly Black communities. Anti-racism means that you are continually working towards equity for all while also doing the internal work and examining the ways in which we ourselves are complicit in the structures that perpetuate violence. We must not only be not racist but also anti-racist and explicit in committing to checking ourselves and those around us. The goal is to create systems where communities of color not only survive but THRIVE." - Ale About the contributors:
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