uwl’s first annual social justice...

social justice weekUWL’S FIRST ANNUAL

SPONSORED BY THE UWL INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

FINAL PROGRAM

in this togetherPursuing social justice in

changing contexts

April 4-8, 2016

Monday, April 4, 2016

12:00‐1:30 p.m.

Brown Bag Lunch 1, Ward Room, Cartwright Center

Subalternity in the Gendered Marketplace: Exploring Transgender

and Genderqueer Consumers’ Experience in the Market,

Elizabeth Crosby, Marketing

The concept of gender is socially constructed and pervasive (West and Zimmerman

1987). Gendered products and services include clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, bags

(totes, purses, etc.), colors, toys, and books. Within the dominant social discourse,

individuals are expected to conform to the gender norms that are associated with

their biological sex. People that violate this norm often experience stigmatization

(Gagné and Tewksbury 1998, Kosenko et al. 2013). They are devalued and face

social exclusion in many aspects of their lives, including the marketplace. In this

research, Elizabeth Crosby (UWL), Kim McKeage (Hamline University), and Terri

Rittenburg (University of Wyoming) discuss transgender and genderqueer

consumers’ experiences in the market by addressing the following research

questions: (1) How does the market marginalize transgender and genderqueer

consumers? (2) How do these individuals cope with this marginalization?

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Research Session 1: Racism and White Privilege, Centennial 2313

1. Anti‐black Racism in the Criminal Justice System: A Social‐Psychological

Perspective, Grace Deason and Jessica Sim, Psychology

Racial disparities permeate the criminal justice system, from law enforcement to the

courtroom to sentencing and imprisonment. Using the experimental method, social

psychologists examine the roots of anti‐black racism in individual minds. In contrast

to a focus on hard‐wired, overt prejudice, social‐psychological research shows how

injustices can occur in spite of people’s good intentions. We will present studies that

demonstrate that racism in the criminal justice system is context‐dependent and

therefore malleable. Research on shooter bias indicates that race can influence the

decision to shoot armed and unarmed Black and White males; however, training and

expertise can reduce the role of stereotypes. Studies of jury decision‐making

demonstrate that making race salient in a case can mitigate white jurors’ bias

against black defendants. Stereotypically‐black defendants receive more punitive

sentences, but this effect is also dependent on the context in which such judgments

are made. We conclude that the social‐psychological study of anti‐black racism

complements sociological and historical approaches and generates unique

recommendations for social change.


2. White Men on Campus: Transforming Learning about Privilege, Diversity, and

Responsibility for Social Change, Jörg Vianden and Charles Martin‐Stanley II,

Student Affairs Administration

Despite some social gains, the 21st Century continues to be marked by persistent

disparities between members of different classes, races, genders, and sexual

orientations in the US. White men in the workforce and on college campuses hold

the most privilege, enabling them to advance to positions of power and influence.

Yet, few white college men are engaged in discussions, courses, or programs on

diversity and social justice. Indeed, a many white men say that “diversity is not

about them” or that they have “no place” in diversity discussions, while most

campuses have largely left diversity education to faculty and students of color or

members of the LGBT community. In this presentation, Jörg Vianden and Charles

Martin‐Stanley II will report the results from a nationwide qualitative study that will

appear in a forthcoming book published by Routledge of how white college men

experience or perceive campus and community diversity issues. Using tenets of

transformative learning and pedagogy for privileged learners, the presenters will

provide stories from white men about diversity, privilege, oppression, masculinity,

and social change. Uniquely, this research also pairs white privilege with the counter

stories of traditionally marginalized college groups, including women, students of

color, and students who identify across different gender and sexual orientation

spectra.

3. Dishonorable Whiteness: Why Asians are Being Whitened and Why We Largely

Don’t Care, Roi Kawai, Education Studies

In this session, we will examine the problems, dangers, and reasons why Asians and

Asian‐Americans— particularly Asian immigrant families and their posterity—are

slowly being whitened in our public schools, universities, businesses, and in other

institutions built by systems of white supremacy. We will discuss the origins,

reasons, and of why this has become normalized and explore why schools and

institutions of higher learning dismiss, marginalize, or straight‐up forget the

struggle of “yellowness” in historical and current‐day struggles of Asian and Asian‐

American people. We will layer these questions particularly in regards to the Hmong

experience in La Crosse and the generally invisible population of East Asians in La

Crosse and the surrounding communities. We will disrupt notions of the model

minority and “honorary whiteness,” a term used during apartheid in South Africa to

extend white privileges to people of Japanese and Taiwanese descent, and has made

its way into America discourse. Finally, we will deliberate around concrete actions

that Asian, Asian‐Americans, and allies can do to engage in this oft‐hidden,

pervasive, and long struggle for justice for Asian and Asian‐Americans.


4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Roundtable 1: Undergraduate Research, Centennial 2302

1. The Inclusivity of Literature in English High School Classrooms, Emily Mootz,

English

I am conducting a study about the inclusivity of literature English teachers at public

high school use in their curriculum. I will be distributing a survey to and conducting

interviews with a variety of teachers in the Fox Valley; specifically, Neenah and

hopefully extend to Appleton, and Oshkosh. Then, I will be taking those findings and

comparing them to urban high schools in Milwaukee with a higher percentage of

students in a minority and overall less student resources. With my research, I am

eager to find a way to walk alongside teachers to explore novels, non‐traditional

Western, international and multicultural that open the world up for all students.

2. Staging Black Masculinity and Traditional Black Music Forms in the U.S., Kalon

Bell, Communication studies

This research project examines the promotion of traditionally black music forms in

the United States (Jazz, Blues, and Rap) as a staging of black masculinity.

Considering specifically a selection of Blues & Jazz cover art from the 1920’s and

30’s and rap videos post‐2000, it aims to classify imagery within each music form

and time period through textual analysis. Additionally, it inspects the similarities

and dissimilarities of the imagery between blues/jazz cover art and rap videos

throughout time. This study is significant because it examines if antiquated images

of black masculinity have changed or in fact been preserved within popular black

music forms over the decades.

3. Negotiating Respect and Exposing Power Dynamics in Rural Strip Clubs, Zöe

Taylor‐Hayden, Sociology

This presentation is based on ongoing ethnographic research in rural Midwestern

strip clubs. While much is known about strip clubs in urban settings, rural strip

clubs have remained largely ignored in the literature. Developing some of the major

themes in the existing scholarship on strip clubs, this presentation discusses the

balance of power dynamics between strippers and patrons, stripper face work and

emotion labor, counterfeit intimacy, stigma management, narrative resistance, and

deviance negotiation to reveal startling differences between rural and urban strip

clubs. This ethnographic work captures the scenes from inside rural strip clubs to

uncover fascinating stories of how strippers negotiate their own statuses in and

outside of the strip club while also winning respect and dignity in a culture that both

frowns upon them and lusts after them. The insights gained from full immersion

provide an engaging overview of the subjective experiences of rural strippers, and


through the use of sociological analysis, will increase our understanding of a

“deviant” occupation in an apple pie rural setting.

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Roundtable 2: An Invitation for UWL Faculty to Explore a Social

Reconstructionism Philosophy of Education, Centennial 2311

Joshua Miller and Multicultural Education Students, Education Studies

Those who hold the educational philosophy of Social Reconstructionism are

presented with the opportunity to delve into the cultural context of learning with an

emphasis on improving society by allowing students to wrestle with issues of bias,

discrimination, and exploitation. This occurs as experiential learning activities are

designed to foster critical thinking and promote robust dialogue concerning the

complex political and economic issues that confront society. Regardless of content

expertise or specialization, this academic lens provides the educator with the

justification to weave social responsibility and methods that foster social justice

competencies into the very fabric of the course being taught. In this roundtable,

Joshua Miller will lead a group of three to five undergraduate education majors, all of

who have recently identified social reconstructionism as the preferred philosophy of

education, in a discussion for current UWL faculty and IAS members.

5:30‐7:00 p.m.

Diversity Dialogues Plenary Speaker: Centennial 1400

Islamophobia in the United States

Corey Saylor

Corey Saylor, an expert on political communications, legislative advocacy, media

relations and anti‐Islam prejudice in the United States with 20 years of experience,

directs the Department to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia at the Council on

American‐Islamic Relations (CAIR). Saylor has authored a number of reports

documenting anti‐Islam sentiment in the United States. He is a regular voice on U.S.

and international news outlets ranging from Fox News to CNN, the BBC, the New

York Times and Al Jazeera. In the last several years, Corey has been active in

combatting anti‐Islam legislation nationwide and removing biased and inaccurate

materials from law enforcement counterterrorism trainings. He has also led CAIR’s

efforts to raise constitutional and efficacy concerns about the Obama

administration’s countering violent extremism (CVE) initiative. Corey has

conducted dozens of leadership, advocacy and media trainings across the United

States, including speaking to audiences at NASA and the U.S. National War College.


Corey will discuss the manifestations and impact of Islamophobia in the United

States and the threats it presents to American ideals and the U.S. Constitution. He

will also discuss pragmatic solutions to the problem.

Sponsored by the International Student Organization; International Education and

Engagement; Ethnic and Racial Studies; Campus Climate; Women’s, Gender, and

Sexuality Studies; Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the History Department

7:30‐8:30 p.m.

Plenary Speaker/Performer 1, Graff Main Hall

Kit Yan

Spoken Word Artist

Kit Yan is a New York based spoken word artist from Hawaii. Kit performs

theatrical slam poetry pieces about his life as a queer, transgender, and Asian

American through stories about family, love, and social justice. Kit has been seen on

television programs such as HBO’s Asian Aloud and PBS’ Asian America. Kit’s poetry

has been reviewed in New York, Bitch, Curve, and Hyphen magazines and he has

toured internationally with Sister Spit, The Tranny Roadshow, and Good Asian

Drivers. Kit’s work has recently been featured in Flicker and Spark and Troubling

the Line‐two new queer and transgender poetry anthologies and has a forthcoming

book with Transgenre Press. His recent performances include headliner at the True

Colors Youth Conference, headliner at the New England Queer People of Color

Conference, and the Brooklyn Museum. Kit Yan will leave you with an unforgettable

spoken word performance. Through slam poetry, stories and comedy, Kit Yan

discusses his life and topics of race and gender.

Sponsored by the Campus Activities Board, Pride Center/Rainbow Unity/Transform,

and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

12:00‐1:30 p.m.


Age Discrimination and Intersectionality

Dawn Norris, Sociology

Age is one of many dimensions of inequality on which stereotypes are based and around

which discrimination and oppression can occur. I explore Margaret Cruikshank's

(Learning to Be Old) ideas about the social constructivist nature of age, and how age-

based oppression and discrimination intersects with other social statuses. Specifically, I

will highlight how the experience of aging and its accompanying challenges may differ

by age's intersections with race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and social class.

12:00‐1:30 p.m.

Social Justice Activism with Kit Yan, Hall of Nations, 1300 Centennial

Kit Yan will host a workshop for everyone interested in learning how to explore

their story through spoken word.

Sponsored by CAB and the Pride Center

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Research Session 2: Social Justice Activism, Centennial 2313

1. The Development of a Literacy Program at the La Crosse County Jail, Kate Parker,

Bryan Kopp, and Kelly Sultzbach, English

In Fall 2015 English department faculty partnered with the La Crosse County Jail

to develop a reading program that would offer participants an opportunity to

engage in conversations about literature. The program‐‐a short series of

meetings in which inmates read and discuss a literary text with two faculty

members‐‐has provided a space for open dialogue and meaningful interactions

between participants and faculty as it continues into its second semester.

Panelists (Drs. Bryan Kopp, Kate Parker, and Kelly Sultzbach) will describe the

origins of this program, its central questions and developing tenets, and offer

some observations about the value of engaging non‐traditional "students" in

conversations about the role literature can play in our lives, both inside and

outside of the classroom.

2. Peace History and Peace Activism in a Militaristic Society, Deborah Buffton,

History


This presentation will examine the place of peace history and peace activism in a

society that (often unconsciously) celebrates militarism. It will raise the question of

what we actually mean by peace history, provide some examples of it, and also

consider the kinds of peace activism that are going on all over the country and the

world. It is hoped that this might inspire some of the listeners to think of ways to

become involved in their own peace activism.

3. Does the First Amendment Advance or Hinder Social Justice? Nizam Arain,

Affirmative Action

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of belief and

expression, including for ideas that most people would find disagreeable or even

offensive. While some countries have laws against hate speech that is racist, sexist,

or homophobic, U.S. courts have granted First Amendment protection to hate speech

unless it rises to the level of harassment, intimidation, defamation, incitement or

threat of violence. However, these principles are interpreted by our legal system,

which reflects the power and privilege of the dominant groups in society, and

which assumes that all people have equal access to the freedoms enshrined by law.

How do we account for the very real social and psychological harms that hate

speech inflicts on members of marginalized groups and on our society as a whole?

How do these issues affect students and employees at a public university where

critical thinking, academic freedom, and inclusion are of particular importance?

Must women, people of color, LGBT people, and members of religious minorities

tolerate the “free expression” of those who seek to exclude them from co‐

equal citizenship? Does our current approach to First Amendment rights stand in

the way of a more inclusive and equitable society for all?

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Roundtable 3: Exploring Marginalization and Writing Your Own “What is…”

Speech, Centennial 2302

J. Scott Baker and UWL Students, Education Studies

In Jo Goodwin Parker’s speech, “What is Poverty?” the author details her family’s

struggle to maintain health amidst impoverished living situations. With this

published speech as a class reading in EDS 206, Multicultural Education, students

were instructed to write their own “What is….” speech. Each student was

challenged to write about a disenfranchised population in which he/she did not

belong. Students were also encouraged to interview someone they knew who

embodied the outlying population in which they assumed for the writing. Students

presented these speeches in class, discussing issues such as: What is ADHD? What is

Hispanic? What is Asian American? What is Diabetes? What is Gay? What is a

Female Soldier? These questions created rich narratives about the lives of what


students in the class see as “other.” Through the discussion and learning of diverse

individuals, teacher candidates in the Department of Educational Studies begin to

comprehend different lived experiences. As part of engaging and pushing for social

justice in the educational system, teachers must understand and work with students

of diversity. These narratives provide a beginning for teacher candidates to grow in

their own understanding of those around them. In this roundtable includes an

introduction by instructor, Scott Baker, performances of speeches by students, and

an open discussion period for debriefing the experience and ideas shared in the

speeches.

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Caucus 1: Racial Affinity Caucuses, Centennial 2311

Jamie Capetillo

“Racial affinity group meetings, or caucuses, can be effective tools for human service

agencies to address cultural responsiveness or shift their organizational paradigm

toward antiracism.” (Blitz & Khol, 2012) In order to come together as a campus and

make change towards an improved, more inclusive, campus climate, we all must

know our part in the movement. This space will allow the different identities to

engage with each other to ask themselves, what they can do as an ally, or what they

need from allies. By holding a racial affinity caucus we can allow different racial

identities to go more in depth on issues that are happening on the campus, and talk

about how we can make effective change within our groups. The two racial caucuses

will be White students, and Students of color. Each group will have a facilitator to

encourage discussion, but not control the dialogue.

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Diversity Dialogues Session 1: Students Advocating Potential Ability (SAPA)

Panel, Centennial, 2214

Student members of SAPA will discuss the current state of physical and academic

accessibility on the UWL campus. Potential topics may include SAPA efforts to

promote disability awareness and current projects; the current state of physical

accessibility at UWL; past challenges and ongoing needs; and supporting students

with disabilities in class with academic accommodations. Come prepared to ask

questions and learn from these students who are advocating for all students with

disabilities at UWL.

Sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion


7:00‐9:00 p.m.

Plenary Speaker 2, Centennial 1400

What’s in a Name? Exposing Gender Bias in Student Ratings of Teaching

Adam Driscoll

Sociology

Student ratings of teaching play a significant role in career outcomes for higher

education instructors. Although instructor gender has been shown to play an

important role in influencing student ratings, the extent and nature of that role

remains contested. While difficult to separate gender from teaching practices in

person, it is possible to disguise an instructor’s gender identity online. In our

experiment, assistant instructors in an online class each operated under two

different gender identities. Students rated the male identity significantly higher than

the female identity, regardless of the instructor’s actual gender, demonstrating

gender bias. Given the vital role that student ratings play in academic career

trajectories, this finding warrants considerable attention.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

12:00‐1:30 p.m.


Developing Change Agency in the Young Adolescent Learner

Ann Yehle, Education Studies

Penny Reedy, Maggie McHugh and Students, La Crosse Design Institute

“Students in the middle grades…… have the ability to perceive deep truths and are

making decisions that will affect the way they live the rest of their lives. This transitional

time between childhood and adulthood is the prime time to introduce students to

important concepts, such as the need to seek social justice.”

(Gerstung, 2013)

Middle level scholars have long noted that the concerns of young adolescents are

powerful and often center on social justice issues (Beane, 1990; Gerstung, 2013) thus

requiring attention by the middle level educator if meaningful learning is to manifest. In

this brown bag lunch, learn how an instrumentality charter school capitalizes on the

critical questions of their middle school students leading to powerful interdisciplinary

student learning that (a) forges community connections, (b) explores inequity, (c)

promotes a growth mindset (Dweck, 2006), and (d) affords young adolescent learners the

opportunity to advocate for change.

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Research Session 3: Graduate Student Research, Centennial 2313

1. The Panopticon of Racism, Charles Martin‐Stanley II, Student Affairs

Administration

“Nationally, 68% of Black men who start college do not graduate within six years,

which is the lowest college completion rate among both sexes and all racial/ethnic

groups” (Harper, 2006). This statistic helps to illustrate the underrepresentation of

African‐American men as a serious problem in higher education today. Several

researchers have talked about the decrease in both persistence and retention rates

for African‐American men in higher education. Some researchers have also

discussed the concept of a panopticon as a system of surveillance that restores

social order in our society. This presentation will explore this concept and examine

social norms and stereotypes that reinforce the racial hierarchy that the panopticon

keeps in place in our society. This presentation will also highlight the results from

individual interviews with African‐American male college students at a mid‐west

comprehensive institution. In addition, implications for student affairs practitioners

at predominately White institutions will be presented. Finally, the presentation will

generate a discussion surrounding the need for cultural competence on


predominately White campuses and what that means for administrators, faculty,

and students.

2. Life after Voiced Stories: Understanding Transformative Learning Through

Social Justice Performance, Stephanie C. Bohlman, Campus Climate

Mezirow (1991 & 2000) explained that transformative learning demands both the

ability to be critically reflective as well as the capacity for reflective

judgment. Transformative learning seeks to understand how a person views the

world through the use of a paradigm shift in their past that seeks to create change

for the future. Before students can become engaged in student activism there needs

to be a space for a transformative educational tool focused in social justice

work. Sadler (2010) argued that student affairs professionals should use social

justice performance as a tool for student activism. The researcher seeks to

understand the transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991) that occurs after joining a

social justice performing group. The significance of this study will help faculty and

staff members in higher education better understand the importance on being

involved in a social justice performing group and its ability to help people converse

around topics of social justice in and outside of the institution. The presentation will

also discuss finding from individual interviews conducted with Voiced Stories

alumni at a Midwest comprehensive predominantly white institution.

3. Racial Battle Fatigue, Meng Vang, Student Affairs Administration

Racial Battle Fatigue is a critical race theoretical concept developed by Dr. William A.

Smith from the University of Utah. This concept helps explain the effects and impact

that racial microaggressions, race related incidents, and other forms of racism have on

students and faculty of color at predominantly White institutions. In addition to

examining this theoretical concept, I am proposing to explore the roles of critical race

consciousness and double consciousness in relations to racial battle fatigue. I believe that

a heightened awareness of race and racism among students of color lead them to being

more aware of microaggressions and other forms of racism (internalized, interpersonal,

institutional). This session/presentation could either be facilitated as an open dialogue or

presented with colleagues (to be determined). The concepts, ideas, and discussions being

proposed in this abstract could be greatly beneficial to UW-L as this institution has a goal

to work towards equitable environments for all students. Other areas of focus could be

interpersonal interactions (faculty/staff/students) and institutional curriculum (ethnic

studies/social justice requirements). Racial equity cannot rely solely on the interactions

and beliefs of individuals but there also needs to be equitable institutional representation.


4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Workshop 1: Social Justice Activism, Centennial 2302

Augusto Boal Live: Using Theatre of the Oppressed Forum Theatre

to Solve Problems in Multicultural Contexts

Roi Kawai and UWL Students, Education Studies

In this session, we will explore the work of Agosto Boal, Brazilian Worker’s Party

activist, theatre director, and creator of Theatre of the Oppressed (TOTO). Informed

deeply by Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, TOTO is a form of theatre aimed

to practice “with, about, and for the oppressed” (Boal, 2004), challenging

participants to enact possible solutions in oppressive situations instead of simply

talking about them. Using forum theatre, a public form of theatre where actors

perform daily life situations (often based in their own lives) couched in systems of

oppression, participants will explore ways UW‐L students, teachers, faculty, and

staff can use TOTO as a tool to pose new solutions to daily problems in spaces such

as classrooms, sporting events, interactions with police, and others charged with

high racial, ethnic, gender, sexual, and/or religious contention or micro‐

aggressions. Finally, participants will be “spect‐actors”, and will be invited to blur

the line audience members (spectators/bystanders) and political actors who have

the agency—and just as often, the responsibility—to make change.

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Parts of Me Panel: Intersectionality, Centennial 2311

Onyx Klein, Pride Center

This panel examines the intersections between race, ethnicity, sexual orientation,

and gender identity, among others. It brings to attention that oftentimes people are

forced to put identities in a box, have to hide identities in certain places, and that

some identities people have may be in conflict with each other. The presentation not

only informs and educates, but is brought to life by the varied personal stories of the

panel. This would be an excellent addition to the event because the people of the

panel not only care about awareness of this issue, but changing structures around

them so that their existences may be accommodated in a world that doesn’t see

them for their whole selves.


4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Diversity Dialogues Session 2: Celebrating First Generation: Do You Know

Who Your Students Are? Centennial, 2214

Lynette Prieur Lo and Andrew Ives

First generation college students often face more challenges than those of their non‐

first generation peers, resulting in lower retention and graduation rates. In order to

help this under‐represented group of students succeed, it is important to

understand their needs. Join us as we raise awareness about first generation

students at UW‐La Crosse. Participants will learn about the importance of

identifying and supporting these students and hear from a panel of students about

how being a first generation student has impacted their college experience.

Sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion

7:00‐9:00 p.m.

Plenary Speaker 3, Centennial 1400

Peace and Social Justice Activism

Margaret Rozga

Margaret Rozga draws on her experience as a voting rights volunteer in rural

Alabama in 1965, a key participant in Milwaukee’s 200 nights of marching for fair

housing in 1967 and a life‐long advocate for peace and justice as she considers how

her civil rights activism relates to current social justice issues. Her presentation will

include discussion of these questions: in what ways did the southern civil rights

movement inspire activists nationwide? Why was fair housing a dominant issue in

Milwaukee and other northern cities in the mid‐1960s? Why is it important today?

What is the role of the arts in bringing this history forward?

Sponsored by History, CLS, WGSS, ERS, and also sponsored by

Philosophy, Archaeology and Anthropology,

and Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA)

Thursday, April 7, 2016

12:00‐1:30 p.m.


Imagining a Better World: Rap Music Skepticism and the

Civic Activism of Young African Americans

Ray Block, Political Science and Public Administration

Despite a recent increase in research on its political implications, many questions

regarding rap's influence on mass‐level participation remain unanswered.

Accordingly, we consider the possibility that "imagining a better world" (measured

here as the degree to which young African Americans are critical of the music's

negative messages) can correlate with a desire to "build a better world"

(operationalized as an individual's level of political participation). Evidence from

the Black Youth Project (BYP)‐Youth Culture Survey (Cohen 2005) demonstrates

that rap critique, while not a determinant of turnout, exerts a conditional impact on

non‐electoral activism. We do not observe this relationship among Blacks who

consume the music infrequently, but rap critique enhances heavy consumers' civic

engagement. By offering a counter narrative to the often‐discussed detriments of

Hip‐Hop culture, our study demonstrates the politicizing power of rap.

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Research Session 4: International Perspectives and Social Justice, Centennial

3301

1. The Marielito Cubans of Fort McCoy, Omar Granados, Modern Languages and

ILAS

This research explores the experiences of 14,000 Cubans that were brought to Fort

McCoy in 1980 and suffered tremendous racial and social segregation in La Crosse.

2. Human Rights Accompaniment in Guatemala, Connie Vanderhyden, Multicultural

Student Services

“International solidarity is not an act of charity: it is an act of unity between allies

fighting on different terrains toward the same objective. The foremost of these

objectives is to assist in the development of humanity to the highest level possible.”

Samora Machel, late Mozambican leader. I appreciate this quotation because it

clarifies the importance of equitable relationships in solidarity work. Here is

another significant statement: “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your

time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let

us work together."— Aboriginal Activists Group, Queensland, Australia, 1970s.


In this presentation I would like to describe the relationship between KGAP and

Nueva Esperanza‐Chaculá and what makes it solidarity rather than charity. I will

include some thoughts on current articles about “the charitable industrial complex”

and “philanthropic colonialism” by Peter Buffet as well as an article by David Rieff

on “philanthrocapitalism”.

3. Racism, Citizenship, and Everyday Dominican‐Haitian Interpersonal Relations in

the Dominican Republic, Christine Hippert, Archaeology and Anthropology

Recent events on the island of Hispaniola exemplify friction, “[t]he awkward,

unequal, unstable, and creative qualities of interconnection across difference”

(Tsing 2005). This paper examines the development and negotiation of

contemporary friction in everyday interpersonal interactions among Dominicans,

Dominico‐Haitians, and Haitians in a poor diverse neighborhood on the north coast

of the Dominican Republic. Illustrative vignettes in three ethnographic sites –

corner stores, a Haitian church, and a night school – reveal the context of anti‐

Haitian discrimination and its ever‐present narrative in Haitian‐Dominican

interactions. But research results also demonstrate the contradictions and

dissonance of the ways that racism is often transcended as people build inter‐

cultural social networks, negotiate citizenship, and undermine long‐standing

expectations of Dominican‐Haitian interpersonal relations.

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Research Session 5: Graduate Student Research, Centennial 3214

1. Using Your Privilege in Powerful Ways, Shari Schoohs and Hanna Wright, Student

Affairs Administration

“Our socialization renders us racially illiterate. When you add a lack of humility to

that illiteracy (because we don’t know what we don’t know), you get the break‐

down we so often see when trying to engage white people in meaningful

conversations about race.” (DiAngelo, 2015) This presentation will focus on white

fragility and how white people can navigate through their privilege to become a

better ally for people of color. We hope to create a conversation where we question

in a time of growing white fragility, how does one let go of their white guilt and

work on becoming an ally for those who have been systematically oppressed for

centuries. This session will utilize photos and videos to share stories of people of

color and the white allies who stand by their sides. We will discuss ways to be a

white ally and how to work with people of color instead of staying silent or speaking

over people of color which are both problematic. It is not the job of people of color

to educate white people. It is our job to educate each other and learn together. The

two researchers will also talk about their own process of navigating through their

own identity as white people on this campus and in this society.


2. Mental Health and Barriers at UWL, Kaila Henry, Student Affairs Administration

This presentation will include barriers currently in place for students with mental

health on the UWL campus. The discussion will include themes participants

discussed in my research and start to develop a plan on how to break down the

barriers.

3. Examining and Addressing Christian Privilege in Higher Education, Andrew Ives,

Student Affairs Administration

This presentation will examine the ways Christian privilege exists in today's society

and higher education. Hegemonic Christian values and symbols create a negative

climate for those who hold subordinated identities and institutions of higher

education must work to create safer spaces on college campuses. I will discuss

strategies for disrupting the hegemonic narrative of Christianity in higher education,

how to address the secularization of Christianity in the United States, and how to

have meaningful conversations about Christian privilege.

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Roundtable 4: Obstacles to Equity and Opportunities for Teaching Exceptional

Children and Youth, Centennial 2313

Leslie Ann Rogers, Jennifer Butler Modaff, and Candidates, Education Studies

How equitable are the opportunities for our exceptional children and youth? Are

educators unknowingly creating barriers? What can be done to improve the social

justice for students with exceptional needs in elementary and middle school

settings? In this roundtable, UWL teacher candidates will share lessons learned and

provide suggestions for future special and general education teachers. The

candidates will share the lessons gleamed from reviewing extant literature related

to this topic (e.g., How have scholars situated students with exceptional needs

within the social justice framework?) The candidates will also share common

barriers to social justice, especially related to parent‐teacher collaboration. Finally,

candidates will highlight lessons learned from the research they conducted as a part

of this UWL class (i.e., summary of results from surveys, focus groups, and

interviews conducted with parents of exceptional K‐8 students).


5:30‐7:00 p.m.

Diversity Dialogues Keynote Speaker: Centennial 1400; 1309 (overflow)

Addressing Rape and Sexual Assault on College Campuses

Annie E. Clark

Annie E. Clark is co‐founder of End Rape on Campus (EROC). EROC works to end

campus sexual violence through direct support for survivors and their communities;

prevention through education; and policy reform at the campus, local, state, and

federal levels. Annie is also a lead complainant in the Title IX and Clery complaints

against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she graduated Phi

Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Political Science. She has a certificate in business, and is a

former administrator at the University of Oregon. She is a contributing writer to the

Huffington Post, MSNBC, and The Chronicle Vitae. After directly working with New

York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, she helped write the Bi‐Partisan Campus Safety and

Accountability Act. In 2013, she was listed alongside President Barack Obama as

one of the most influential forces in higher education, and she is featured in the

campus sexual assault documentary "The Hunting Ground."

Sponsored by the College of Liberal Studies, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion,

and the Violence Prevention Office

7:00‐8:30 p.m.

Social Justice Performance, Valhalla, Cartwright Center

hearandnow theatre company

hereandnow is a compelling theatre company that tours across the nation

performing a variety of theatrical vignettes which present the unique Asian

American perspectives of its cast. hereandnow theatre company was founded in

1989 by John Miyasaki, with a group of young Asian Americans frustrated by the

lack of non‐stereotypical roles in plays, musicals, television and film. From its

humble beginnings at East Los Angeles College, hereandnow has had over 200 cast

members and performed at over 300 colleges and universities. While being Artists‐

in‐Residence at Pasadena Armory Center for the Arts, hereandnow has also become

a producer having staged seasons since 2001 throughout the LA area.

Sponsored by the Asian Student Organization; Campus Activities Board; Asian,

Latina, African, Native American Women; Black Student Unity; Hmong Organization

Promoting Education; Intercultural Organization Promoting Awareness; Native

American Student Association; and Students for a Free Tibet

Friday, April 8, 2016

12:00‐1:30 p.m.


Children Who Are Homeless

Patricia Markos, Institute for Professional Studies in Education

Families with children are one of the fastest growing groups of people who are homeless.

More than 90% of these families are headed by a single female parent. On a yearly basis,

2.5 million children live on the street. This is an 8% increase and represents one in every

30 children living in the United States. The leading causes of homelessness include

poverty, lack of affordable housing, the impact of the Great Recession, racial disparities,

the challenges of single parenting, and the effects of traumatic experiences on children

and families. Children who are homeless are typically two grade levels behind their same

age peers. This poses a problem for school districts who are trying to ensure that all

children learn. This presentation will describe: 1) families and children who are

homeless; 2) legislative provisions and mandates governing the education of children and

youth who are homeless; 3) the impact of homelessness and barriers to education for

children who are homeless; and 4) the types of services needed for these children and

youth.

4:00‐5:30 p.m.

Institute for Social Justice Spring Meeting and Closing Reception,

Hall of Nations, Centennial 1300

Please join us for the annual spring meeting of the Institute for Social Justice (ISJ)

and the closing reception for Social Justice Week. Laurie Cooper Stoll, Director of

ISJ, will discuss current and future objectives and programming. All are welcome,

including those who are interested in becoming affiliated with ISJ.

uwl’s first annual social justice...

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