Brown University Disorientation Guide 2015 - 2016 by Disorientation At Brown

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Let's introduce ourselves, the folks who have compiled this Disorientation G~d~ for of College Hill m U . -ersity 2015-2016 to welcome you here to our bubble B rownmv .. A路R h Provid RI all from the (Micro l LJ ooressions 01 Brown Partzczpalory ctum esearc rovi ence, are 'j1 .... d (PAR) Team. Tbe f*ck is PAR? Good question - we all asked that when we j01ne too. , PAR is a team-based research approach in where we are not only the subjects of the research but we are the co-researchers defining the terms of our research agenda 6:)

based

0;0

our own lived experiences.

We are made up of different identities and different bodies and together we have conducted research about our experiences with (micro)aggr~ssions, learning about how certain bodies, narratives, and methods of learning are not valued in academia and how our different identities are both rooted in oppression and in privilege.

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As you might learn in your time at Brown, research and academia have often emphasized and valued quantitative data, statistical information, and documentation through written word. Our goals through our research are to push back on this systematic oppression through valuing our personal experiences, oral and c~eative histories, and the celebration of collaboration and community.

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In the Spring of2015 our group has researched and collaborated with others students and centers throughout campus to bring to you this Disorientation Guide. We hope that it will serve its purpose, our goal, in assisting you to learn a little bit more about our campus that you might not know from regular Orientation. We hope that it will spur you to critically think about the practices of Brown and it's governing body (Thej Corporation), the campus environment, and about your own time here. \

In healing, in love, and in solidarity. DisorientationatBrown (Micro)Aggressions at Brown PAR Team

If you have questions, comments, or anything you would like please contact us at: disorientationat~rown@gmail.com

to inform us about,

What do you do that takes space? What can you do to make space? How can you be a Brown student in Providence in a way that isn't oppressive? Are you desensitized? How are you privileged? Where can you get help? Who can you talk to? What does love mean? What does justice mean? What does anger mean? Can you use these emotions to create change? Where are safe spaces? What is a safe space? What are the words you need to describe your feelings, your situations? How can we build a better classroom community? How can you heal? Where can you heal?

OVERAND

• Brown

University

is founded

as the College of Rhode

Island;

3'0 in America

and 7tk in the Colonial

America.

• Brown's first class commencement just as war looms.

• Students form a committee not being

is celebrated

against the Corporation

because the food they were promised

provided.

• The American

Revolutionary

War

begins.

• Students

petition

the Corporation,

on the graduation

• 21 students felt created

refuse

• Students attend

their

petition evening

denounces

their

competition

demonstrate

in response

to a change

stage like all the classes before

diplomas

at graduation

amongst

students

educational

• The Civil War begins. I

policy,

to be allowed

to sit

for the assignment

- Commencement

of Commencement

Parts were a performance

Parts which they of public acts to

accomplishments.

to hold meetings lectures

the breaking

in Commencement

them.

during the evening.

given by professors

in what

of University

and three

policy

In protest

to the petition's

was later called the professors

resign.

rejection,

students

"Rebellion of 1851". The President

_ First master's degrees are granted graduate candidates.

_ First doctoral degrees are granted candidates.

to doctorate

-The Women's College is founded.

- The Brown Daily Herald is accused of treason for its "War Against War" intercollegiate pacifism movement. The Herald's work is quickly endorsed by many other college newspapers.

-The University establishes a partnership with Tougaloo College.

- 65 black students from Pembroke and Brown College walk out of classand march to the Congdon St. Baptist Church and remain there for 3 days in protest of racist admission practices. After student and administration negotiations, there is a 300% increase in black student enrollment as well as the establishment of the Transitional Summer Program (later renamed TWTP). -Admtnistratlon and faculty decide on educational changes as students and advocates lobby for the New Curriculum, ultimately approving it in 1969.

-Student and faculty protest against the Vietnam War participation turns to focus on the University's support of the ReserveOfficer Training Corps; some students believe ROTCprograms show support for the conflict in Vietnam while others believe the military values to be incompatible with the values of a liberal arts education. The faculty votes to phase out the ROTC.

-1,500 students strike to protest Kent State shootings and U.S. entrance into Cambodia. Faculty meets and passesa resolution to send to President Nixon and Rhode Island congressmen to ask them to stop the Vietnam War.

-The Women's College and Brown College merge into Brown University and Pembroke Campus

«The Third World Coalition, of the Organization of United African People (OUA:) and the Latin American Students Organization (LASO), leads 56% of the student body to strtke after threats by the administration to cut financial aid and student services due to budget cuts. Students occupy University Hall and demand increases to financial aid for students of color as well as demands that the University

e The

honor the agreements

from the 1968 walkout.

Third World Center is Founded

-Lewls Carroll's "Jabberwocky" is recited by the Jabberwocky 13, disrupting a lecture given by then CIA director Stansfield Turner in addition to student and faculty picketing. The 13 were found guilty of minimal infringement on the rights of others and received no penalty in a hearing <the

before the University

Pembroke

Center is founded

Council of Student as a location

affairs.

to study gender, sexuality,

and society.

_ Students call for University Health Services to stock "suicide pills" to be made available the event of a nuclear war. The student referendum as symbolic protest receives worldwide

media attention.

-CIA recruiters are placed under citizen's arrest at their own info session by 60 students "for solicitation to aid in the violation of national and international law"; the students are punished

for disruptive

behavior.

_ 350 students rally to demand that issues raised by students of color in the previous be addressed by the University. The result is a substantial increase in Asian student matriculation but the 1975 protest demand, that the number of black student acceptances rise to equal the percentage of the black population in the US, fails. _ The Third World Coalition students occupy the front of the John Carter attempt to reclaim the documents from Brown's slave holding family.

library

year

in an

-The Main Green becomes a mock shanty-town by students demonstrating against the Corporations' investments and harmful environmental practices they support. Four students fast in protest and are "dtsenrolled" by the University for fears-of liability.

«Students

Against Apartheid

members who disrupt

a Corporation

meeting

are placed on

probation.

-Students begin a year-long protest for establishment of an Ethnic Studies department well as administrative recommitment to the 1968, 1975, and 1985 demands.

«The Rape Wall is created by survivors of sexual assault at Brown <victims write the names of their aggressors on the stalls of the Rock and other libraries on campus. Further protest by students and survivors result in policies defining sexual misconduct as a violation of the code of conduct and subject to punishment, counseling services for students, separation measures between the accused and the accuser, the creation of Safewalk, and inclusion of sexual assault education in First Year orientation.

-Over 300 students led by the Students for Admissions and Minority Aid (SAMA) occupy University Hall to demand that the University conduct need-blind admissions policies, increase the financial aid initiatives given to students, and generate more awareness on class diversity. The 253 students who refused to leave the building are arrested - the movement lost momentum as protesters dealt with the consequences of their arrests.

_Ethnic Studies becomes a concentration.

ÂŤStudents of color unite to seek apologies from the BDH after Conservative politician David Horowitz pays for an ad in the Herald entitled "Ten Reasons Why Reparations for Slavery is a Bad Idea and RacistToo."

<Students Against War in Iraq (SAWl) and Not Another Victim Anymore (NAVAl organize protests to the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, respectively.

_Brown begins its need-blind admission policy for domestic students. Transfer and international students still do not undergo need-blind admissions. -Over 1,000 Brown and RISDstudents, faculty, and community members walk out of class and rally in protest over U.S. invasions in the Middle East. After national press attention, teachins, rallies, and speakers occur on campus. _Brown organizes the Campus Antiwar Network regional conference for students.

-A speech by Mort Klein, president of Zionist Organization of America, is protested by students, Providence locals, and a contingent from NYC.

_Student pressure reverses the University's attempts to cut funding to the American Sign Language Program. -Staff and students protest the "temporary worker" status among Dining Services workers which allows the University to underpay and arbitrarily fire workers and limits long-standing employees' rights. -An unsuccessful campaign is launched by the Anti-Racism Action to get the Corporation to divest from Israel.

• The administration's minuses

attempt to change the grading system to allow for pluses and

is rebuffed

by students.

-An energy manager is hired and an advisory committee formed after the Environmental Action Network pressures the University to invest in renewable • Students

from universities

energy .

along the East Coast attend the First Regional Northeast

Conference hosted by the Students for a Democratic Society, the first such conference in over 40 years. «The Corporation university

divests from Sudan after the Darfur Action Network

investment

protests

in 6 Sudanese companies.

e The University does not outsource the bookstore after persuasion by the Save the Bookstore Coalition. -5 students with the national Declaration of Peace campaign are arrested for nonviolent civil disobedience at RI Senator's office. _ Radical University Queers United and Strong (RUQUS) demonstrates about

and encourage

implementation

of gender-neutral

to raise awareness

bathrooms.

«Students give speeches and disperse fliers from a balcony in Alumnae Hall on to Corporation members below in an attempt to inform them about needed compensation improvements and benefits for Dining Services Workers. _ Rallies, marches, Speak Out sessions, and generation of the Coalition for Police Accountability and Institutional Transparency (CoPAIT) result in response to incidences of police brutality

_ Students (defense

against students of color.

for a Democratic Society (SOS) protest CIA and Raytheon contractor) recruiter presence on campus by simulating

dead bodies on the main green.

_ 7 Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) members that attempt to disrupt a Corporation meeting for its undemocratic decision-making processes and lack of transparency are sentenced in a disciplinary hearing to probation for their protest.

«Students

strike to support

police brutality

<Student

the Occupy movement

(Occupy College Hill) and to protest

at UC Davis (sparked by the pepper spray incident).

labor Alliance protests the University

contract

with Adidas for its sweatshop

practices. _ Student protests request that the Corporation increase contributions to the City of Providence. Providence locals protest Brown's tax exemptions - Brown holds a large percentage of land in Providence but as a non-profit, it pays limited taxes. Universities, like Brown, RISD, johnson & Wales, hold high-value property but pay very little in taxes.

r;-S-'u-d-e-n-'-la-b-o-'-A-n-i'-n-'-e-s-u-pp-o-rt-s-h-O-'-e-I conversations «Students

end in worker

protest

W-o-'-k-e-rs-d-e-m-,-n-d-;n-g-be-,-,e-,-,-,e-'-t-m-e-n-,;---

unionization

the Keystone

XL pipeline

... ~

and tax breaks for the Renaissance Hotel. construction

in Boston (1 student

arrested)

and Washington DC. «Students and community members protest a speech given by Raymond Kelly, former (Title) of NYC who implemented the Stop and Frisk policy. The lecture was cancelled following

protest

sparking

wide media coverage.

• Lecture at Hillel by an Israeli Defense Forces sergeant to a two-state • Students

solution

to Israeli-Palestinian

and staff gather

over the summer

sparks protest

conflict to protest

for his opposition .

the outsourcing

of Mail Services

• Brown and RISD students and black student groups organize teach-ins and 'die-in protests in response to the Ferguson grand jury's decision not to indict PO Darren Wilson for the murder

of Michael

Brown.

e The

Task Force on Sexual Assault is formed, with members from the administration, faculty, undergraduate class, and graduate class, in response to student and faculty calls for sexual assault reform on campus. Their task is to generate recommendations to the university on policies to address and confront the sexual and gender-based violence

and harassment

on campus.

«Students carry mattresses on campus and rally together in support of Columbia University's Emma Sulkowicz and her movement Carry That Weight in response to university mishandling of her sexual assault case.

-Studentsaru

forms and holds a silent protest and march through campus and University Hall to protest Brown's mishandling of two students' sexual assault cases this year.

_ The Task Force on Sexual Assault delivers its final report to the community and Corporation; it includes recommendations on the establishment of a Title IX Office with a dedicated lead Officer to investigate any reported sexual assaults. They also recommend the clarification and transparency of the 'Process' with standardized protocols for the investigation, examination, and testing of all relevant materials as well as mandatory annual education programs for students, staff, and faculty.

The timeline has been written from the following sources:

•••••••• •••••••••

This is a working-draft of an intended longer piece which critically interrogates the spatial politics of Providence and explores the. revolutionary potential of a radical urban SOCIal movement. My intent is to offer critiques of the ontological layout of urban space by investigating how power-relations currently transpire throughout the city so as to develop new methods and means of resistance and to be better able to strategize beyond manufactured limits of dissent. The central focus in this analytical piece is Brown University and the local the nonprofit industrial complex.

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• • Although coherently gathering my thoughts on Brown University and ItS. • • parasitic neocolonial relationship to Providence has been an overwhelming •• • • process, it has also been therapeutic to finally layout my observations on how I • Brown University's mechanisms of domination are carried out. For several I • months now I have felt ethically and politically paralyzed working through the • • • difficulty of sharply articulating my critiques of the University. •

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It would be too easy to highlight the University's past with colonial Rhode Island as one initially founded by the Brown family, whose massive wealth was built on the backs of African slaves - cause everyone knows about that. What isn't so obvious is how in its modern incarnation it acts as an institution that maintains heavy economic and political influence over the city, state, and

• • •

beyond.

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• •

• 4 I try to think - should I focus on the mafia-like network of Brown alumni that t 4 occupy various power-positions throughout th~ city-state? Or would I get my t I POintacross further If I focus on the institution s tendency of displacing entire communities by facilitating gentrification? Perhaps my argument would be t better served if I concentrate on how the University manipulates the city's t I political terrain and functions to reproduce the local ruling class?

.......

• • Ultimately, the avenue I choose to explicate Brown University's parasitic t • relationship With Pr~vidence has to reflect the way in which I initially came to t • notice the institution s processes of domination - and that's through focusing t • on the link between the University and the city's nonprofit industry.

•• ........ ,.

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• My aim in the following analysis is to detail the ways in which Brown operates • as a locus for the development and direction of various nonprofit • organizations in Providence. In my analysis I'll describe how loose networks of Brown alumni heavily influence the city's political culture and how students • from Brown tend to either dominate, divert, or pacify local social movement efforts through institutionalized-grassroots organizations.

• • •

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The first task is to question the political ontology of Brown University as it I• exists within Providence's socio-spacial terrain. My critique will interrogate the ••

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University's underlying ideological structure and its function as a site for the reproduction of social relations. I'll then shift into exploring the intricacies of the nonprofit industry and its ideological underpinnings. Next, I'll apply a critical analysis of the nonprofit industrial complex to investigate how the industry has manifested in a local context. Through that investigation, I'll detail the neocolonial relationship between Brown University, Providence's nonprofit industry, and the city's i~st~uti~n~-g~assroots_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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~ How Brown Rules Corporate Governance,

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. . . ••••••••• Finance Capital, and C,v,1 CoheSIon ••••••

•

To understand Brown University's power over the Providence, we must first examine the structure and purpose of the school Itself as a site of class reproduction and CIVilcohesion Ivy League Institutions, including Yale, Colombia, Harvard and the like, are Influential not necessarily because of their athletics or academics, but rather for their utility in ensuring class cohesion of the country's capitalist elite and its beneficiaries. As John Trumpbour noted in his critical text How Harvard Rules, these elite universities serve crucial functions for the ruling class. While Trumpbour's assertions dealt mostly with Harvard Business School's role in training and recruiting students who go on to become powerful finance capitalists. using a critical genocidal analytic I aim to argue that Brown University serves a similar purpose of class reproduction by preparing its students to become maintenance-agents for the cohesion of white civil society and advanced global capitalism .

•• •

The structure of Brown University's administrative body has tremendous influence over how the university operates as well as manipulating the school's overall development and underlying ideological culture. Almost half of the members that make up the Corporation of Brown University's Board of Trustees hold occupations in global finance and other major economic industries.

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• •. • • 41 •• • • 41 • 41 • 41 • 41

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In his essay titled "Industry and Empire in Crimson Cambridge," Trumpdour speaks about U.S. capitalism's "inner-group" - 'the few members of the capitalist elite who hold numerous interlocking directorships in the Fortune 500 and the major [philanthropic] foundation and university governing boards." As a prestigious knowledge-factory based in the city's highestincome neighborhood of East Side, Brown is not excluded from this reality. To verify this truth, let's consider the Brown Corporation - the school's central governing body.

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Composed of mostly alumni, Trustee members include economic power players such as Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, Goldman Sachs associate Andrea Terzi Baum, and TPG Capital COO Jerome Vascellaro. Another branch of administration within the Corporation is the Board of Fellows, which is comprised of eleven members includinq the school's president Finance capital ISalso well represented among the Fellows Members Include people such as Providence Equity founder Jonathan Nelson and Goldman Sachs managing director Richard Fnedman.

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The Brown Corporation is in charge of major aspects of the University. Its responsibilities include selecting the President; setting the budqet, tuition, and fees; appointing senior administrative officers; establishing policy and strategic plan, among other bureaucratic tasks. Embedded in the operations of these rigid hierarchical structures are values that inform the ideological culture of the university. Exploring how Brown University is governed is a crucial task if we truly want to understand how mechanisms of power operate within and beyond the University. In How Harvard is Ruled, Robert Weissman emphasizes the significance of governance structures on students, asserting that "the manner in which the University is run not only affects students' education, but educates them as well." He continues, "it teaches [students] that those who hold power are not. and should not be, held accountable - an important lesson both to those who will become the country's leaders and to those who will be funnelled into the middle-class." Racial/Colonial

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Genocide and Class Reproduction at the Academy

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........_...:::::::::=~~''4 •..••.• 55:::::: 55:::::: Dylan Rodriguez posits that the role of a school in a colonial genocidal order ........ is to train students to find their place within white civil society and reproduce the violent social relations that uphold and maintain global capitalism. In the realm of the academy, the school acts as a factory that paradigmatically orders and exports bodies, embedding within them dehumanizing systemic logics and values using institutional techniques, rhetorics, and epistemologies of violence and power.

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Most Brown students are funneled into the managerial class throughout various industries, particularly the medical, education, public administration, and nonprofit sectors. These are the same sectors that employ large amounts of workers across Rhode Island. For this very reason it is imperative to analyze Brown University's function as an institution that exports bOdie~s=-'~_-J

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values, and ideologies to uphold the pillars of white civil society and maintain a violent capitalist social order. ,

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The Webs of Capital in a Company Town: Providence, Brown and the Nonprofit Industrial Comptex

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Similar to international non-governmental organizations [NGO's], nonprofits can take on varying forms to serve numerous functions. Moreover, nonprofit work resembles neocolonial missionary work in which missionaries [read: workers! are responsible for administering and delivering humanitarian aid [read: phiianthropic capital] to those at the bottom rungs of white civil Society. Ruth Wilson Gilmore suggests that the nonprofit industry functions as a "thirdsector" that has arisen due to the social abandonment caused by neoliberal market structures. To fili the void, the US as has increased its dependence on philanthropic capital to attempt to selectively meet the needs of tHose in the throes of social abandon amidst a critical period of deepening austerity and neoliberal restructuring. Nonprofit organizations tend to provide a myriad of social services such as youth programs, job training programs, Violence prevention programs, housing services, and domestic Violence services.

Further interrogation would bring us closer to a more critical understanding of the role nonprofits play in fulfiliing the neocolonial desires of White, owningclass elites. Funded largely by grants coming from philanthropic foundations, individual donors, or government agencies, nonprofit organizations typicaliy maintain a heavy reliance on funding from sources outside of the communities they operate in, The funds from philanthropic capital, such as the Ford, l Rockerfelier, and Mellon foundations, often come with restricting ties that end l up dictating the form and content of the services nonprofits deliver,

i !

Sternly specific funding rubrics and structural prohibitions informed by the legal structure of non profits situate organizations in a position where they are bestowed the responsibility to deliver direct services to those "in need" as identified by finance-philanthropist coffers, Although dependence on philanthropic funding is one way in which nonprofits fall into the machinations of neoliberal state-apparatuses, another way IS by professionalizing "good work" and creating a specialized career-path for people who want to become nonprofit managers, VVihatis more, nonprofit work now demands a certain set of specialized skills necessary to operate and maintain the mission of the organization contributing to the careerist culture of the industry.

• •

Andrea Smith mentions nonprofit workers spend "inordinate amounts of time writing proposals, designing programs to meet foundation guidelines, tracking and evaluating programs to satisfy foundations, or soliciting private donations through direct-mail appeals, house parties, benefits, and other fundraising techniques."

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Each of these enmeshing characteristics - dependence on foundation funding, specialization of nonprofit work, proximity to state apparatuses. etc contribute to what can be called the "nonprofit industrial complex," or NPIC.

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One of the ways the ruling-class accomplishes this objective is by deploying the "buffer-zone strategy." The buffer zone strategy refers to a mechanism for stratifying people into a number of occupations that carry out the agenda of the ruling class.

While this snapshot is not definitive in describing the intricacies of power relations in the US, it does help us understand the vast differences in social and economic inequality. The top 1% make up the elite, owning-class; the next 19% make up the professional/managerial classes; and the bottom 80% is made up of middle and working-class peoples, in addition to those impoverished due to unemployment, homeless ness, and the like.

==::1_== The buffer zone is a stratification strategy for the ruling class to maintain a degree of separation between themselves and those on the lower end of the pyramid. To avoid becoming the objects of people's anger, elites have utilized "legal, educational, and professional systems to create a network of occupation, careers, and professions to deal directly with the rest of the population." There are three primary functions of this buffer zone. The first is laking care of people located at the bottom of the power pyramid. The second to keep hope alive by distributing opportunities for a few people to become better off financially. And the third function of jobs in the buffer zone is to maintain the system by controlling those who want to make changes. J

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We can easily locate the NPIC within this portrait. Nonprofits act as organizations that recruit buffer zone agents from the groups of people demanding change of the system. The strategy works asparasitic process of co-optation that integrates the leadership of our communities Into the bureaucracies of the buffer zone, separating the Interests of those leaders from the needs of the community. In this sense, the nonprofit industry works as a missionary project that carries out the neocolonial desires of white, financial elites. Though, there's still the question - how do the dynamics of such a project manifest within a particular locality? In thinking of spatial politics, power relations, and systems of domination, it is critical to investigate the intricacies of how nonprofits operate in the political-economy of an urban city.

To get a full picture of Providence's current political economy, we must focus in on Ihe sprawling nonprofit industry that has developed in the city throughout the past several decades. By no means an outlier to global trends, the proliferation of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island is still astounding. Rhode Island ranks 8th among states that have the highest number of nonp~ organization~er capita. _

With 47.2 501(c)(3) organizations per 10,000 people, nonprofits employ more than 18 percent of Rhode Island's labor force, tying us with New York as the states with the highest percentage of people working at nonprofits. This includes hospitals: universities, social service agencies, etc. Among the largest employers in the state, one of the most notable "nonprofit" enterprises is I?rown University. As a political and economic entity, Brown University needs to be viewed as an institution that maintains and exerts a great level of power over the city. Legally listed as a nonprofit agency whose asset worth is $4.2 billion, the Ivy League school plays no minor role in influencing how power in providence operates. Brown and its alums have, for decades, been major actors in shaping the political, social, and territorial landscape of the city for decades. II's no secret nor surprise that a sizable litter of lawyers, lobbyists, congressmen, bankers, public administrators, and reai estate developers throughout Rhode Island all call Brown their alma mater.

I have already gone to great lengths to illustrate Brown University's role as a school that trains students to find their place within white civil society and reproduce the violent social relations that uphold and maintain global capitalism, In local context, the University acts as a funnel to export students and alumni into buffer zone occupations - effectively rendering them into missionaries that are enabled to act on embedded neocolonial logics of philanthropy and social service. Incorporated into the bureaucracies of the buffer zone, Brown students and alumni through nonprofit work have strongly shaped the cultural and political landscape in the city for more than 15 years. Strongly resembling neocolonial missionary work, the University lauds nonprofit work as a career path in which students can specialize and develop their skills and expertise In. True to its mission, the University dedicates whole centers and programs - such as the Swearer Center for Public Service - to connecting students to community organizations throughout the city and state along with other mechanisms (Teach for America, Americorps VISTA, etc.) that act as feeder-tubes into buffer zone occupations. A significant number of grassroots, community, labor, and youth development orqs active in the city today have been started by Brown students in their activist phases and since then have been administered by the same ilk. Those not directly founded by Brown alumni, were founded by alumni of other Ivy League schools and maintain close institutional relationships with those from Brown.

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One only need to dig into historical archives 1'0find that numerous influential nonprofit organizations have consistently been initiated, led, or administered by Ivy League students and alumni: Providence Student Union, the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence, Rhode Island Communities for Justice, Rhode Island Urban Debate League - and stiil the list continues. Even left-oriented radical "social justice" grassroots organizations aren't immune from this trend: Direct Action for Rights and Equality, Providence Youth Student Movement, Olneyville Neighborhood Association. and Rhode Island Jobs with Justice have all been founded by Brown students. These institutional-grassroots nonprofit organizations in particular act as incubators within an activist sub-culture and function as a social net to catch eager, idealistic students wanting to dip their toes into local organizing work. They hear about such and such organization from a friend who knew a friend, volunteer the tuxury of their time, land an internship, or sometimes even establish a staff position for themselves. The confluence of funneling patterns, interplay of social networks, and dependency on volunteer labor and philanthropic-funding serve to uphold the pillars of white civil society by reproducing and maintaining parasitic social relationships. As community work becomes nonprofit work through processes of co-optation, qrassroots efforts get subsumed into the machinations of the nonprofit industrial complex, binding organizations to function as managers of community

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In subsequent posts I'll be aiming to tease out critical questions for develop new methods and means of resistance outside of the NPIC in the city. My goal is to contribute towards thoughts for untethering local community and labor struggles from parasitic neocolonial institutions. STEPS TOWARDS

DISMANTLING

BROWN UNIVERSITY:

Plan and organize a general insurrection to expropriate especially land, belonging to the University _ Abolish the Brown formal administrative

Corporation, Department bodies of the University

all resources,

of Public Safety, and all

_ Institute_open-admissions and free tuition for Rhode Island residents and all descendants of former enslaved peoples across the hemisphere

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- The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, edited by INCITE' Women of Color Against Violence - How Harvard Rules: Reason in the Service of Empire edited by J h Trumpbour ' a n - Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution

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Brown is not unique. It is part of a larger collective of Higher-Ed institutions that asserts itself in and displaces communities - namely communities of color. I am so glad Servius G brings this to light in his pointed analytical piece, Neocolonial Providence. I believe it is a necessary read and should be circulated among the Brown community.

widely

As a scholar who is a Black woman, I initially had contentions with the piece - not for its content, but because I felt targeted for even being atfiliated with Brown. So, like most people would, I deflected my guilt. I am not proud of this, but I took personal offense to Servius' critiques and neglected to fully acknowledge the structural issues he highlights in this piece. It was upon reading Neocolonial Providence for a second time at the urging of a co-researcher that I was able to begin the process of reconciling my Brown privilege with my marginalized identities. Here's Q word of advice.if you find yourself getting feelings and defensive like I did:

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Despite your social/crifical consciousness, advocacy and activism at Brown, you are complicit in maintaining neocolonial Providence. Don't deny that. So if you are truly "'bout it 'bouf it," dedicate your time here fo dismantling the master's house with the master's tools. Interpret that as you will. That's how I choose to make up for being complicit. Well. that's me thinking out loud. Bravo to the author for writing such a thought-provoking piece.

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路 Whether you're white or a person of color, it is important to know the racial make up of your institution at to be aware of how you r presence fits in on this campus. Visibility and representation of POC in an institution does NOT mean that we are no longer marginalized academia. Our mere presence is not enough.

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Soyou're feeling a bit lost: socially, academically, emotionally. These new existential crises are surrounding the issues of social identity and race. Here are some resources available to help you through that process!

ALANA Mentoring Program· BCSC

The AlANA(African, Latino, Asian and Native American) Mentoring program links first year students of color at Brown to Faculty, staff and alumni of color. The interaction between mentors and mentees is based solely on their mutual interests and personal goals. Renn Mentoring Program· LGBTQResource Center

The Renn Mentoring Program pairs lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ)students with "out" LGBTQfaculty and staff mentors. Students can get support and quldance from their mentors on a variety oftopics including, but not limited to, coming out to their families, in academia or in the workplace. Office of Institutional Diversity

Led by the Vice President for Academic Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Liza Cariaga-Lo, the 010 works with several offices and resource centers across campus. If you feel you are experiencing discrimination based on your race, class, gender, sexuality, etc. on campus either in an academic or social setting, ***you can report itto the OlD. This resource is here for you to be heard. ***

•

Mapping Safe Spaces for Students of Color on Brown's Campus !tES

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The PoC community at Brown is invested in the geography of safety for people of color at Brown. What campus buildings or locations provide safety for students' identities? What buildings or locations are perceived as unsafe? This participatory resource map is intended to provide students of color a platform to vocalize their experiences on Brown's campus in regards to personal definitions of safety.

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Do YOU

KNOW THE I

THAT YOU

NAME OF THE STATE J

ARE IN? Take a look at any official document or ~ even the elevators on campus

~~ ~

Historicaland currentmovementsat Bro~

t., I I. I)I"~=S-I-IJI~I= <it_

from Israeli Occupation and Apartheid Brown Students for Justice in Palestine (BSJP) is a Palestine solidarity group that works to raise awareness around Palestine and to diminish Bro";"n's institutional complicity in human rights violations in [he region. The group was first formed in 2009, in the wake of lsrael's bombardment and ground invasion ofGaza, under the name "Break the Siege". Today, we are one of over a hundred student chapters nationwide involved in Palestinian solidarity work. At Brown, we see ourselves as part of a greater tradition of commitment to justice and human dignity. t(

In 2011, after months of research, BSJP launched a campaign calling on Brown University to divest from twelve US companies profiting from or facilitating human rights violations against the Palestinian people, We have since presented to the ACCRIP on multiple occasions, providing ample evidence of these companies' participation in the killing and displacement of civilians, the construction and maintenance of the illega.lseparation barrier and the expansion and maintenance of illegal settlements in the West Bank and East jerusalem.

r-1::-l-I!!!!!!I.. IRElll'"......... _ A year later, after repeated delays, the ACCRIP released a public letter finalIy admitting that "Israel is indisputably engaged in ongoing systemic abuses of human tights and violations of international law," The ACCRIP ultimately failed to produce a recommendation to the Brown Corporation - despite the rcquiremenr to do so as mandated in its founding charter -largely due to a sustained effort by particular committee members and their allies to disrupt all committee operation~ rather than see a dive~tment recommendation come to the table

As the situation in occupied Palestine continues to deteriorate, and human rights abuses remain a da.ily reality, BSJP's mission grows more urgent. Despite the institutional impotence of the ACCRIP - as demonstrated by its failure on the Palestine issue and by President Paxson's work to undermine committee's power around a 2013 coal divestment recommendation - BSJP continues to interrogate our institutional role in enabling the Israel; occupation,

What are their connections? (past and present)

THECORl

Compiled by: Andrea Chin '15 Info from: www.muckety.com

Board ( American Theater Wing, actress: Empire Falls, TIle Good Wife, Scandal

Aspect Ventures

NY Historical Society, Pegasus Capital Advisors

Mark S. B1umenkranz Richard A. Friedman Laura Geller Theresia Gouw Donald C. Hood' Robin A. Lenhardt

Board

VHI Save the Music Foundation

Norman W. Alpert George S. Barrett Craig E. Barton Andrea Terzi Baum George H. Billings Katherine Burton Robert J. Carney raig M. Cogut Alison K.Cohen Laurence W. Cohen

Tanya Godrej Dubash Jose J. EstabiJ Genine M. Fidler Todd A. Fisher Robert P. Goodman Alexandra Robert Gordor Cathy Frank Halstead John J. Hannan Nancy C. Hyde Dorsey M. James

US Holocaust Memorial Council Rockefeller

Philan fur

opy

Ad'

. VISors,SIdney E. Frank Foundation SkOTEntertainment

Del IV

What do they do? select the President set the budget, tuition and fees establish policy and strategic plans appoint faculty and senior administrative officers accepts gifts and naming opportunities aH. Paxson 'resident rs J. Tisch neeHor ', Vascellaro hancellor Iood, Secretary ssler, Treasurer

The full Corporation meets just three times a year The authority and responsibilities of the Corporation are set forth in the Charter of the University granted by the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in 1764. McKinsey & Company, California Academy of Sciences

If Fellows Samuel M. Meneoff Jonathan M. Nelson Christina H. Paxon* O. Rogeriee Thompson Peter S. Voss Maria T. Zuber

Art Institute of Chicago Warner Music Group Ccrp., Yankee Entertainment

Bank of America, Chairman

LLC

Professor at MIT, National Science Board

f Trustees PeigeKatz Paula M. McNamara Brian T. Moynihan Kevin A. Mundt Srihari S. Naidu Nancy Fuld Neff Ronald O. Perelman Steven Price Alison S. Ressler* Ralph F. Rosenberg

and Sports Network

American Film Institute,

Thomas E. Rothman Jonathan M. Rozoff Joan Wemig Sorensen Barry S. Stemlicht Alison D. Stewart Thomas J. Tisch* Jerome C. Vascellaro"

Fox Filmed Entertainment, National Council on the Arts, Sundance institute

Estee Lauder Companies Inc

Jasmine M. Waddell Diana E. Wells Lauren J Zalaznick Nancy G. Zinunerrnan & CEO

Bravo, NBC Universal

lonte Foods Co, Solo Cup Co

Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

RESPONSIBLE

POETRY:

THOUGHTS ON THE RISING POPULARITY OF SPOKEN WORD This isn't a poem. It's really not. After dedicating my entire semester to an intense and committed relationship with poetry, I've realized how important poetry is to who I am and how I define myself. Upon this rising popularity of poetry, I've been feeling very broken by the way spoken word is being treated

AT BROWN SPECIFICALLY. For those who are new to the scene, spoken word is a specific type of poetry that is equal parts writing and performance, 100% emotion. It is historically an artistic medium used by black communities to share their stories on their own terms that has now been extended to other marginalized communities. This history is important to acknowledge And recognize when engaging with spoken word. It's not just an art form. It's a way to share your story, unpack experiences and trauma. and inspire conversation about some REALLY critical shit. In the past year, I've been noticing spoken word has become more and more popular and that's great! It's a good feeling to know this work is finally getting the air time it deserves BUT ... as people become more interested .in spoken word, I've been noticing Some really disturbing trends.

Spoken word and poetry has become a capitalist tool on this campus, only focusing on how much can be produced and what people can gain from it. The community, artistic process, and identity building that comes along with it for many people is slowly being lost. Open mics are being held every weekend, not to provide a space for poets, but rather to just have a club event. Spoken word has become less and less valued for the power it speaks to, and more about networking opportunities it provides. This being said, the following list is a compilation of the guidelines I've decided to live by when interacting with spoken word and poetry. No matter what my role is, (whether I be the poet, an audience member, or an event organizer) there are certain things I am mindful of in order to do this work both respectfully and responsibly. These are MY thoughts, my personal opinions and I recognize not everyone will agree with me.

*** WHEN •

YOU'RE A SPOKEN WORD ARTIST: Please stay in your lane. It's not cool to steal other people's narratives for your poems, to capitalize on someone else's pain, or to appropriate other communities' struggles for the sake of making a point.

•

Know your audience. Your poetry affects your audience as much as it affects you. Have a purpose for telling this story and know that some stories don't need to be said in certain spaces. (in other words, why are doing poems about video games at this event about marginalized identities????)

•

Be fucking honest about your work. Acknowledge who helped you, who edited your poems and contributed to the work that you produce. It's not cool to dismiss the people who supported you along the way.

•

Don't just support yourself, support good poetry. There's nothing more fucking rude than people who perform, and then leave right after they're done. Fellow artists were there for you and your work, so support the community that turns out for you.

•

Our poems have more power than we realize. Your poem will make people feel some type of way. It can be life giving, triggering, offensive, absolutely wonderful People want to talk about your poem, so know that this is coming.

*** WHEN •

YOU'RE ORGANIZING A POETRY EVENT: Poets are artists, NOT FUCKING PARTY TRICKS. Their poems are works of art. Treat them as such. Stories and emotions go into these extremely raw and visceral experiences, so respect the work we do. These poems are not party tricks that can be whipped out for other people's entertainment.

•

Poems usually take 3 minutes each. On average. So plan enough time for a poet to do their poem justice. Feeling rushed does absolutely nothing good for a poem.

•

FUCKING COLLABORATE PEOPLE. Why are there 3 different open mics every single weekend? How can we support each other if we're all running to different events? What is more important: that poets have a space to showcase their work ... or that you hosted an event with your club's name on it? If you just collaborate with other groups, you'll get a better turn out.

*** WHEN

YOU'RE

IN A POETRY

COMMUNITY:

•

Calling something a safe space doesn't mean it is one. You can call a space "a safe space" as much as you want, but that means you have a responsibility to be conscious of the poetry you do and THE SPACE THAT YOU TAKE UP.

•

Be willing to have the conversation. At the end of the day, the poetty that we do is only as important as the conversations that they inspire. If you're uowilling to uopack the work that you do and the words you hear, why are you doing poetty in the first place???

•

Why does your group exist? What is the purpose of your group? Are you ttying to build community? Give space for marginalized voices? Workshop poetty and improve skills? These differenr purposes operate in different ways, and we need to be aware of these differences if we are to take care of the poets in these groups.

*** WHEN

YOU'RE

IN THE AUDIENCE:

•

SNAPPING IS SLAM CULTURE. We want you to snap and give us your energy as we perform, but know that snapping is meant to uplift and support narratives. So to take it out of context, to use snapping ironically, to make fun of this part of our validation is extremely disrespectful.

•

Show us your support. Our performance and our energy all depends on the energy of our audience, so stomp, clap, snap, hoot, holler, mhmmmmmmmmm. Let us know if something makes you feel some type of way.

•

Talk to us! More than often, I want to talk to the people who hear my work, and know how my poetty affected them, so tell me how you feel. Tell me if you hated it, let me know you appreciated my words, I just want talk about what just happened.

*** These

opinions are my own, but they have been shared by several other poets I've talked to on this campus. Do what you will with this information, but know that this is how people are feeling. WE POETS DESERVE TO BE SUPPORTED BY THIS INSTITUTION JUST AS MUCH AS OTHER ARTIST / ATHLETE/LEADER ON THIS CAMPUS.

â&#x20AC;˘

United States of America. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Office of the Secretary. MemOffindum to COflege and University Presidents. By Peter E. Holmes. Brown University Archives, n. Web. 19 Apr. 2015 .

â&#x20AC;˘ Louise Lamphere v. Brown University The United Stales District Court for the District of Rhode Island' Nd. Consent Decree. Brown University Archives, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2015. 5 "Composition of Faculty." 2015.

Faculty. Brown University Office of Institutional

Research, n.d Web. 19 Apr.

s Some examples of discrimination against felons include votirt9 disenfranchisement, denial of federally funded health benefits, creoia' of welfare benefits (such as food stamps or public housing), and exclusion from juries. Read Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow.- Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness for further information on the discrimination those who have experienced the penal system face.

.....

â&#x20AC;˘

& do not, The term 'women of color' can be traced bac

a rona

omen s

on erence of 1977 wherI a group 0

Black women v.tJo had created The Black Woman's Agenda were approached by other minority \..tIo wanted t~ ~ included. So, the group of Black 'NOmen coined the term Women of color': "[. ..] using the tenn signifies and requires a commitment

to fighting anti-Blackness.

leadership and an erasure of Black people,

tremsetves",

of Black people 10 the anti-racist struggle: do not attemptto thai communities

of color face.

Otherwise, it's both the theft of Black

Ackn<M'ledge

and rightly credit the contributions

flatten or generalize the different racializations

ABLEISM AT BROWN By Dani\ Carrasco

Campus (in)accessibi/ity

(info compiled from the 2014 MPC workshop

on ableisrn}

Classroom policies

support

Institutional

Language

IN THE CLASSROOM ... When asked if any of your professors [ailed to mention accommodations offered for students with disabilities,

76.6%

said yes.

The following are quotes from students describing their experiences with professors in the dassroom:

â&#x20AC;˘

"I have been kicked out of a class because afmy disability, even with a doctor's note." "A friend of mine who also has academic accommodations has told me about a professor who saic 'I am doing you a favor by observing your accommodations.''' "A professor in my freshman year refused to allow me to use the FM system that is part of my academic accommodations until he had the paperwork from SEASin hand. He also refused to make any significant effort to configure the classroom or moderate the discussion in away that would make it fully accessible to me. As this was a seminar, it was extremely important that I be able to hear the other students speak. I would say I regularly missed 30-50% of what my classmates said on a given day .I dropped the course. This is not a unique occurrence."

REGARDING

INSTITUTIONAL

SUPPORT ...

1. Have you ever wanted to reach out to Counseling and Psyehol09ical Services (CAPS) but didn"t? Why?

You were concerned about others finding Out

14%

You rtidnt wan: your parents to find out

10%

You didn't '..... ill), oeoore to think you "vere "crazy"

14%

You cncn't like the rcea of seek.nc outside! mst tutional support

52%

Other

57%

Student and Employment Accessibility S . (S . are the tw .. . . ervices EAS)and Counselmg and Psychological Services (CAP o major Institutional resources for students with disabilities. '

Students have a very wtde range of ex eri ith th . me and I would recommend it to anY~e,,,e~c~~~;s/s~ms, frothm'CAbPS/SEAShas been super helpful for . are e a solute worst avoid at all costs." It's different for everyone and e . . . that are better/war th th very.narrative IS valid. There are also individuals Within SEASand CAP se an a ers, which can determine h th the resource as a whole You can mak . d weer or not you have a good experience witt aware that they're not a'lways helpful e ydourOWO JU ~ent call about SEAS/CAPS;we just want you to be an can eba blerst themselves,

A NOTE ABOUT OVERACHIEVER CULTURE ... Many Brown students got here by being overachievers and overextending themselves. Overachiever culture can induce depression, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy. At colleges like Brown, having too much on your plate and being constantly shouldn't be. Overachiever

stressed

or sleep-deprived

culture can negatively affect a student's

is treated

as the norm when it

physical and mental health. Ifis important

remember to prioritize your own health over grades and extracurricular activities. Do not be afraid to ask professor, advisors, or deans for help - some may be resistant, but more often than not, they want to help you and are willing to work with you. There is no shame in asking for accommodations For marginalized

folks, there is the added weight of facing microaggressions

like extensions.

and grappling

with impostor

complex. The impostor complex is the experience among academically and professionally inclined people who feel like intellectual frauds. Additionally, unique cultural stigmas about mental illness can make students

of color feel isolated and alienated

from predominantly

white discussions

about mental health.

Be mindful of the Words you Usein conversation - Words like "r"'''d", "crazy", and "Psyclio"liave been historically Used to dehumanize and demonize people Withdisabilities! Also, don't use Words like "OeD" or "bipolar", and others to deSCribe things unrelated to those disorders. It trivlaliz the disorder, and COntributes to the misunderstanding and stigma surrounding mental illness. es

Key

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The .. allY '" ICtlsalUe 100 WllfIt\ChlI' ule' ptIIOIl wih mmll~Chlllllnll'ls.

_chIl' _ ..

A _n wkh II'ObIIIly <:I8l1onll'ls ClII ........ lKiity. 1CtI.. 1Ilt ",.....,_ wlll~ttot laeillY•• 1"\1 .""" lilt "mom. A _n wlh II'ObIIIly oIlIIIOnQilSClII e.... 1Ile laciity. lIld access lIle PM'I'I' ,.. ClIOII"""III IIIIl ladllY.

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(j~ 4atSSibili~ ~

weatheris so bipolar' "Don1t be such a

spaz·

wlh II'd>IIIly oIlIllOnQils ClII

• _mair

_""'Culb

..,..,. _

IlIoCl:OOllbio Obi_ion RIIlIl>

'"'v

Aa:8ssIllo Pli~ SlqJo < ...

A ina_Cur1l ElavalDr

........... Ie Pli~ SlqJo s- 1%

•

........... Ie Pli~ SlqJo > 5..

[!:

PWlg

L li'l

"1'msoOCD"

"Crazy"

ust,

A _Ioeult>

MO<IOrIIll 0Ds11llC1iOn

"Lunatic"

"Providence

A"'yslalblnilr 1JIJ.. ,to, WlKJIO p_1 ""'" .. 11Il1O\lllfUlllY.

"Dumb"

_ai, .ser ..

e.... lleledl1l'

"Stupid"

"Did youforget to take your meds?"

LANGUAGE

"Deranged" "Schizo"

"R******d" Casualuseof the words anorexic/bulimic

"Loony" Using"depressed" whenjust meaningsad "Lame"

What is a trigger warning? an introduction by Paige + the PAR team

trigger: something (can be media, images, or words) that causes a reaction that can be harmful or painful for the person being trig~ered and those around them trigger warning: brief note at the beginning of an article, video, image, etc. that warns about otentially harmful content ,

Now that we have some basic definitions, let's talk about where trigger warnings comefrom, who gets to use them, and how to respect the personal experiences of those around us while also creating room for discussion of important topics. •

• •

• • •

•

• • •

• •

•

• •

• • •

•

• •

•

Origins and Use:

•

• • • • • Trigger warnings use the language of trauma (and sometimes • mis-appropriate language used to describe disabilities - which • reinforces ableism) and originated in feminist internet forums to warn sextial assault survivors of content containing triggering content about sexual assault. Trigger warnings have since found their way into college syllabi, and have since sparked debate about the state of the university, student wellbeing, trauma, privilege and power, questioning whose triggers are taken seriously?' who has the vocabulary to describe the experience? who has access to a college education in the first place?

•

'I-_-----.-..:i

e ate about trigger warnings, and we are not experts! I

htrp: lltinvurl.com/m5his7;

http://tinvurl.com/nonskcc

-..---...----

------

However, it's also important to recognize that trigger warnings can be used to create a hierarchy of suffering, emphasize the status of students as consumer in the neoliberal university, and further reinforce ableist dichotomies and language. I will explore some of these many perspectives on trigger warnings in the next section. It's important to look at all sides of the discussion ..Tngger .. _. warnings can be used to create spaces where the diSCUSSlOnlived experience (of trauma, oppression, suffering, etc) is central to catharsis and healing. They can be used to destigmatize mental illness and sexual assault. •

• •

•

• •

•

• •

Critiques and Perspectives:

•

One criticism of trigger warnings relates to the definition of trauma. Jack Halberstam wrote:

• • • • • •

"Claims about being triggeredwork off literalist notions of emotionalpain and cast traumatic events as barelYburied hurt that can easilYresurface... Where oncewe saw traumatic recallas a set of enigmaticsymptoms moving through the body,nowpeople reduce the resurfacing of a painful memory to the catch all term of'~trigger," imagining that emotionalpain is somehow similar to a pulled muscle - as somethingthat hurts wheneverit is deployed, and as an injury that requires protection. "2

• Others believe trigger warnings are just being used the wrong way - as Melissa McEwan writes:

"Being triggered does not mean "beingupset" or "beingoffended" or "being angry," or any other euphemismpeople who roll their eyes10ng-suffen'ng!Jin the directionof triggerwarningstend to imagineit to mean. Being triggered has a very specific meaning that relates to evoking a physical and/or emotional response to a survived trauma or sustained systemic abuse. ,,' 'http://rinyurLcom/k2cdtkm 3

httpJ/tinyurl.com/opybm9z

Critiquesandperspee'Sll

â&#x20AC;˘

~~~ -. d Still others have used trigger warnings to foster a dialogue aroun f fferi like former Professor aoife assumpta hart, who wrote 0 su enng, using trigger warnings in the classroom: ngger warn ,. , . d. dialo ue our discussions at the group level, Far from shutting own ,'lJ p' they create moments for discussion rather than assump~~on. or resutance. me, Ihtry are one a rt ofan overallpedaaoa1lof b <Y ~

"And trigger warnings, by their very introduction, in.itiate mindfulness of . ti 'h.I and culturalpower .., we becomesensitized to trauma, su b'lec lVt-;y, . ,4

..~;"--

Professor Katherine McKittrick, author of Demonic Grounds: Blac! Women and the Cartographies of Struggle, said: "I am suggesting that learning and teaching and classrooms are, already, sit. ofpain. We cannot protect or save ourselves or our students by demanding silence or shaming ignorance or 'warning' the class .that difficult knowledge is around the corner ..All of this, too, also recalls the long history of silencing--subaltenzs not speaking and all of thai Wiry is silencing, now, something that protects or enables saftty? Who does silence protect and who does silence make safe and who does silence erase? Who has the privilege to demand tolerances:"

misogynoir gore police violence abuse death

•••

Ahmed,

...•

Cecire, N~ (2014, july 7). On the "neoliberal rhetoric of harm." (\X!eb Log Post] Retrieved from http: i /11;lt~\liacecire.blog-svot.com/20 14/07 i on-neoliberal-rhetoric of harm.hrrnl

S. (2014, July 21). Feminist Hurt/Feminism Hurts. [Web Log Post] Retrieved from http:/ Ifeministkilljoys.com!?014!07 /21 /fsrninist-burttemioisrn hurts!

Field, S.

(2014,~~ne ~). ~hould Colleges Use Trigger Warnings? [Web Log Post] Retrieved from http:>.:;,1d~teat1l1gtl1ed.ragons.\\.'ordpress.com/2014/06/0+/shollld colleges use trigger w:lrnlt1rs!

I ••

-••

II •• • I• •

hart, a a. (2014,july 14). Trig Reciprocal Functions: I'm a Trans Woman Adjunct Prof and I Usc Trigger Warnings. [Web Log Post] Retrieved from hrtp:./ !aoifescharolozv.corn 12tH 4/07 j 14/ lri~·-recjprocal-flincT.ions-lm-a-rl"aI1S-\V01TI~1 djnnet -pof -and ~i-uge-trigger \,"/:lrnings/

Halberstam,j.

(2014,]uly

7).You Are Triggering me! The Neo-Liberal

Rhetoric of Harm, Danger

and Trauma. [Web Log Post] Retrieved from http:;:.1 /bul1yblogger:\.\1,.'ordpress.com!20'l4 /07/05 lyou ~lre-trigger.ing-me-the neo tiber a1-rheroric-o f- h ann -d an oer -and -trauma !

Halberstam,

•

(2014, July 15). Triggering Me, Triggering You: Making Up Is Hard To Do. [\\leb

Log Post] Retrieved from httPs:.I ibullyblo~n~ers.\vordrress.con1!20

I I

Works Cited:

l4!t)7 11S! triggerin~'-me

rrirlrering-fou-m.lklll

r-up-is hard to do!

•

McKittrick,

•-

• •

K. (2014, Dec. 17). Katherine

McKittrick Author of Demonic

\Varnings. ['Veb Log Post] Retrieved from https:i Ibu\l,bloo£ers.\.\·ordpress.comi"014 / 12/17 /katherine onic-oToUnds-on-trigger-\V'lrnings

Grounds, on Trigger rnckittrick nurhor-of-der

•

McEwan,

M. (2014, March 4). Triggered. [Web Log Post] Retrieved from htt.p:! i 'V'V\\· .shakesville.corn f2tH 4/03 !tl-ig-gered.h rrnl

I I'

Smith, A. (2014,]uly 13). Beyond the Pros and Cons of Trigger \Varnings: Collectivizing Healing. [Web Log Post] Retrieved from hrtos.," !;lndretl,366.wordoress.com/"lOl4-!07 \V~minr-collect'iYizinr healing!

/13 /be ·ond-tlle-1)ros~;lnd-cons

II:

cf-rriecer-

;

I The Rogue Feminist. (2014). Triggers and Trigger \X7arnin I

., rrp:! 'tmblr.co!ZmntOynB~-1sFx

~. [Web Log Post] Retrieved from

SAFE SPACES

BROWN

nann Carrasco + Paige Vance

What is a safe space? Every safe space looks dlffetent, A safe space is intentiona y designated to De free from a given potential source of dis_tes "d/aT violenc . Examples induce: A space designated A space designated A space designated A space designated comments/actions trauma And so on ..

as a safe space as a safe space as a safe space as a safe space that p'erpetuate

for people of color should be free of racism. for queer people should be free of, e r.Qsexism. for trans people should be free a is..sexism for sexual assault survivors should be free of rape culture disreSRect Doundaries, an invalidat

n an ideal world, a safe space would be free from all-Isms ana triggers. However, given the many possible intersections ofidentity, ins unrealiStic that any space will be 100% free of every potential source of distress. For example, a safe space for people of color may be filled with straight people of color, making a queer person of color feel unsafe. As a result, we approach safe spaces as an IntentiQi'@ (Jesignatjon tfiat should be uph;ld via pract!:l instead of a catch-all term (tilat has also Become a 6uzzworc at Brown an ot er places). I

Who are safe spaces for or why do we need safe spaces? The million dollar questions. The very term "safe space" creates a dichotomy between "safe" and "unsafe." As we've said before, intersections of identities and a wide range of experiences makes it so that spaces are safe for so e ana unsafe or at er CI he same time The need for these safe spaces originates from the knowledge that 1) we live in a society filled with -isms and traumas and 2) that we need to be intentional about combating 路isms and being respectful about people's traumas and experiences tis not enough to assume ooe intent! The nature of marginalized identities and experiences makes it so that they are not prioritized or often considered. As a result, assuming that everyone in a space is knowledgeable about a topic and won't make an offhand, potentially triggering or offensive comment, puts many people

at risk. We need to be intentional and explicit when acknowledging these experiences and trying to construct a safe space when most of society is not a safe space. A safe space 15self·determinea One group of people may consider a safe space to incluce on y people of a certain identity. Another group of people may welcome allies. There is no right way to have a safe space, as long as there is agreement, understanding, and communication. Which brings us to ..

What does it take to actively build safe spaces? • On ,1 n E all participants must actively work to respect everyone (and everyone's identities) in the space, ground rules should be established r, • don't make assumptions about the other people in the space, be conscious of your language and of how often you speak • trustamongtlie communi~: in order for everyone in the space to feel heard, a safe space must 6e founded on bonds of trust and solidarity • ho718tanlJ open tommun;(atia;v be honest about your feelings, use I-statements ana speak from your own experience • accountabiliry; everyone should abide by the established rules, and be open to making mistakes, being called out, and self-reflection, Discussion of safe space ground rules: http://tinyurl com/dlscuss~ndrules, •

Some spaces and people that we consider relatively safe: • Brown Center for Students of COIOli - Shane Lloyd, Dean Mary Grace Almandrez • Sarah Doyle Women's Ceote - Dean Gail Cohee • tGBTO Resource Centern<elly Garrett • Bi h h oi formerly coordinator of Sexual Assault Prevention and Advocacy - currently a psychotherapist specializing in helping survivors of sexual assault at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) • Health Services Fr n ie an . current Coordinator of Sexual Assault Prevention and Advocacy a ~etlve Minas

Further reading, if you're interested: • The Problem with Privilege . http://tinyurl.com/problemwithprivilege an interesting section on safe spaces, ctrl + f "safe space'') • Katherine McKittrick on Trigger wamtngs , http://tinyurl.com/mSlxjs7 about safety in the classroom)

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Office of the Chaplains and Religious life: As stated on their website, the Chaplains Office is a source of support for students. "The chaplains' work is rooted in the care of the whole person-body, soul and spirit. As such, a core mission of every chaplain is to make available pastoral care and advisement for any member of the Brown community-students, staff, faculty, and alumni; solve problems; ease discomfort; and function as an advocate for faculty, staff, students and alumni/ae." What types of problems can the Chaplains Office help with? • Many undocumented students seek Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson to help them with various topics. She is one of the most familiar people with issues that pertain to legal status and how to solve these particular issues. • The Chaplains Office also offers discretionary funds that can help with small expenses, such as purchasing a winter jacket.

'. : • •

The Ombuds Office provides "an independent, confidential, neutral and informal resource" for all members of the Brown community who have concerns regarding their life at Brown, or concerns that are affecting their life at Brown. What types of problems can the Ombuds Office help with? According to their website, they can ... • "clarify university policies and procedures • navigate your way through the university bureaucracy 8 explore informal resolution of a conflict • get assistance with a difficult conversation with a colleague, co-worker, supervisor, someone you supervise or teach • get assistance with someone you are finding difficult • think through an ethical or misconduct issue that you would like to address • think through any issue arising from your life at Brown • find the appropriate person, department or office within the University to respond to your question" The Brown Ombudsperson is available by appointment. She can be contacted at ombudsoffice@brown.edu or at 401-863-6145. You can choose to remain anonymous if you prefer.

On-Campus legal Services Attorney len O'Brien holds Office Hours for Brown students at the Sarah Doyle Women's Center every two weeks during the Fall and Spring semesters. He is also available by phone or email during certain hours. He is a confidential resource that does not report identifiable information about who consults with him. Please visit the Sarah Doyle Women's Center website for more information.

Many things

If you art Please do what you need to do to take care of yourself . Feel encouraged to reach out to the following resources for Brown Students: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) J Wolter Wilson Room 516, 69 Brown Street / 401-863-3476 CAPS provides crisis intervention,

short-term

individual therapy,

group therapy, community outreach, consultation, and referral services. The staff has experience dealing with a broad range of emotional,

social, identity, and adjustment-related

issues.

All students have 7 free sessions every year. Don't hesitate to use them. You don't have to necessarily have a mental illness or be in a state of crisis to benefit from these services. Brown Center for Students of Color (BCSC) 68 Brown St / (401) 863-2120/ Groce Almandrez

BCSC@brown.edu/Director:

Mary

The BCSCserves as a gathering place for students of color. Students are encouraged to build meaningful relationships

across difference,

develop racial and ethnic consciousness, and enact change at Brown and beyond. Sarah Doyle Women's Center (SDWC) 26 Benevolent Street / 401-863-2189 / sdwc@brown.edu Gail Cohee

/ Director:

The SDWC provides a comfortable, yet challenging place for students, faculty, and staff to examine the multitude of issues around gender.

i can be triggering.

! hurting ... lGBTQ Center (Also known as Queer Resource Center IQRC)) 321 Stephen Robert '62 Campus Center / 401-863-3062 / Igbtg@brown.edu/Director:

Kelly Garret

The Center works to create and maintain an open, safe, and inclusive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,

queer and

questioning students, faculty, and staff, their families and friends, and the campus community at large. Office of Student life (OSl) Graduote Center E, 42 Charlesfield Street, fourth floor / (401) 863314S/ OSL@brown.edu OSl provides a variety of services to help student well-being.

Be in

touch with them and they can try to help to get you whatever you might need. In addition to dean open hours, you can get same-day appointments through the Dean of the Day program and all non-business hours service through the Administrator On-Call program [Call Department of Public Safety at 401-863-4111 and ask for the AOe]. The Organizers Maybe you just want to talk to a peer low-key, but you don't know with whom. Well, you can certainly talk to us. We are Brown students who have embraced our personal experiences with (micro)aggressions and are open to talking about them and to listening. E-mail disorientationatbrown@gmail.com