Silence is harmful.
Dear Colleagues,
In the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, our graduate students and postdocs of color are feeling sad, angry, scared, exhausted, and vulnerable. The universal masking policy and curfew in San Francisco have made them feel even more at risk. I’ve been listening to them and to concerned faculty and staff, and I write to strongly encourage you to take the time to reach out to your lab members. Let them know your concern for their well-being, your acknowledgement of their feelings, your advocacy for their safety, and your understanding that they may not be able to be as productive as they’d like right now.
These conversations are really hard to initiate, but it is even harder for our trainees, who feel further marginalized and isolated in the absence of vocal support. Our director of student mental health, Dr. Jeanne Stanford, kindly shared with me the guidance below. I hope it will help you to take the first step. These efforts may be clumsy or awkward, but silence just isn’t an option. We, the leaders and faculty at UCSF, are long overdue to address racism in our society and on our own campus.
I also call your attention to a host of anti-racism resources, listed below.
Thank you for your dedication to our UCSF community.
Elizabeth Watkins, PhD
Dean, Graduate Division
Vice Chancellor, Student Academic Affairs
Professor, History of Health Sciences
Not sure how to start? Pick a phrase in bold, any phrase, and tailor to your liking:
“I’ve been thinking about you lately with everything that has been going on in Minnesota and the racial trauma you might be experiencing. Would you like some time to talk?”
They may tell you no! Own your discomfort. Sit with it. Move on.
“We don’t usually talk about race in our lab but I’ve been wondering how the news has been impacting you lately.”
Side note: if you’re a white faculty member and you’ve never brought up race in your lab, this might feel uncomfortable. But your learners notice the lack of sensitivity to racial and cultural matters, particularly when events have been part of the world news.
“I feel a little nervous bringing this up. I want to give you the space to talk about race and everything that has been happening in the news lately, and I’m committed to learning how to have these conversations. I’m not going to do this perfectly, but I don’t want to pretend this isn’t happening.”
“I know that I am white/not of your race and can’t possibly understand what you might be going through. I want you to know that I am open to hearing anything you need to talk about right now.”
“Would you like to talk about the protests in Minnesota? Please feel free to say no.”
This might feel shocking for your learner if you’ve never talked about race before. They might feel flustered. You might feel flustered. I promise you, if you’ve never talked about race with your learners before, it is far more damaging to not talk about it than it is to stumble through a few awkward moments. I promise you.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU (MAY) DISAGREE WITH WHAT THEY SAY TO YOU, SAY THESE THINGS and be careful not to talk too much because you feel awkward:
“I hear you.”; “I see you.”; “I’m so sorry.
“I can’t begin to understand what this might be like for you.”
“Would you like for me to bring this up again in future meetings? I won’t be hurt if you say no.”
“Here are some options for how I can show up for you/support you, let’s brainstorm together for what that might look like, and add to that list.”
AND THEN VALIDATE, VALIDATE, VALIDATE. DO NOT TALK ABOUT YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH RACISM UNLESS INVITED OR UNLESS YOU HAVE ASKED PERMISSION.
Also, check on your black colleagues.
STOP HESITATING: A quick, highly directive guide to initiating conversations with your Black learners and all learners, but particularly learners of color, about George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, other lives lost, Minnesota, Louisville, and Racial trauma [courtesy of Elizabeth McCorvey, MSW, LCSW, [email protected] ]
Resources:
Resources for Black Individuals and Communities
Black Lives Matter: Meditations
Discrimination: What It Is and How to Cope
Emotionally Restorative Self-Care for People of Color
Filling Our Cups: 4 Ways People of Color Can Foster Mental Health and Practice Restorative Healing
Grief is a Direct Impact of Racism: Eight Ways to Support Yourself
Healing Justice is How We Can Sustain Black Lives
Liberate Meditation App (by and for people of color)
NAMI: African American Mental Health
UndocuBlack Network, Mental Wellness Initiative
Proactively Coping with Racism
Radical Self-Care in the Face of Mounting Racial Stress
Recovering Emotionally From Disaster
Supporting Kids of Color in the Wake of Racialized Violence
Tips for Self-Care: When Police Brutality Has You Questioning Humanity and Social Media is Enough
Antiracism Resources
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
Antiracism Learning Opportunities through Enrich Chicago
Antiracist Toolkit for Teachers and Researchers
A Detailed List of Anti-Racism Resources
Detour-Spotting for White Antiracists
How to Talk to Kids about Race: Books and Resources That Can Help
How Well-Intentioned White Families Can Perpetuate Racism
Resources for Educators Focusing on Antiracist Learning and Teaching
Talking About Race: Being Antiracist
Books to Read On Antiracism
How to Be an Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla Saad
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Dr. Robin DiAngelo
On the Experience of Racism
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
The Bridge Called My Back, Writings by Radical Women of Color edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
Trevor Noah/The Daily Show: Trevor shares his thoughts on the killing of George Floyd, the protests in Minneapolis, the dominos of racial injustice and police brutality, and how the contract between society and black Americans has been broken time and time again.
Mindfulness resources
The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming our Communities through Mindfulness by Rhonda Magee
Mindfulness of Race: Transforming Racism from the Inside Out by Ruth King
Addressing Racism in Educational Institutions and Curriculums
There Is No Apolitical Classroom: Resources for Teaching in These Times
Teaching for Black Lives Book and Teaching Materials and Resources Related to Teaching for Black Lives
How to Be an Antiracist Educator
‘White Privilege Permeates Education’: Q&A With Anti-Racist White Educator
Resources for Parents and Caregivers
Your Kids Aren't Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup
How White Parents Can Use Media to Raise Anti-Racist Kids
Resources for Talking about Race, Racism and Racialized Violence with Kids
Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice
31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
Activists and Educators
Rachel Cargle, a writer and lecturer who explores the intersection between race and womanhood
Ibram X. Kendi, the author of How To Be An Antiracist and Director of the Antiracism Center
Nikkolas Smith, the artist behind portraits of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and others
Charlene Carruthers, founder of the Black Youth Project 100
Brittany Packnett Cunningham, co-founder of Campaign Zero, a policy platform to end police violence, and a host of Pod Save The People
Layla Saad, author of Me and White Supremacy: A 28-Day Challenge to Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor