from early on we’re taught how to
navigate space in certain ways according
to our identities as we get older direct
and indirect teachings become clear as
do the consequences of choosing to
navigate space differently from the
status quo when I say space I’m talking
about multiple forms physical space to
institutional space to emotional logical
space when I think critically about
these spaces
I see the racist frameworks embedded
within them racist frameworks being
system institutions and cultural norms
that protect glorify whiteness and shape
everything from decision makers are to
the policies that impact our access to
resources to the books we read in
schools and representation we see in the
media for people of color learning to
navigate these races frameworks starts
young for me one of the places I learned
this was in school by the fourth grade I
learned to suppress my family’s language
for the language of the colonizer in
order to fit in by high school I learned
to feel inadequate
when me and my black and brown peers for
the last to be selected for groups in
advanced placement courses and by
college I realized of my 18 years of
education I only had two instructors of
color formal education is a paradox
because we don’t to navigate that space
the same formal education taught me
curriculum that did not represent me by
people who did not look like me in an
environment that did not culturally
support me I learned the hard way about
the racist framework called democracy
during the fellowship portion of my
master’s program I worked as a community
organizer in North Dakota during the
historic indigenous indigenous led
movement against the Dakota access
pipeline dapple and I originally decided
to cross the Missouri River north of the
cap
Bismark a predominately white community
was declared to be too high-risk
and was rerouted to cross just north of
Standing Rock Sioux Reservation this
happened even though the tribe expressed
the same valid concerns and more because
of their ancestral connection to the
land and while the tribe was telling the
US government no over and over again
dapple confidently began to construct
without permits Standing Rock Sioux
tribe put out a call to action to
protect water sacred ground in a way of
life it resulted in the reunion of the
seven bands of Sioux nations though
Shetty shekaran
and mobilized thousands of water
protectors from around the world people
came to Standing Rock because what was
happening there tip of the iceberg for
all the racial social environmental and
economic injustice that has always
happened in this country navigating life
during this time was complicated
the paradox was becoming clear we
participated and the democratic
exercise our right to nonviolent
demonstrations and we were met with the
military’s response and to quickly bring
it full circle on the night before
Thanksgiving in freezing conditions out
in the Prairie police were using water
and sand gap attempt to click land from
First Nations people 2016 it was the
first life that I felt like I was living
in a pre rights era on the upside I felt
truly empowered by the values and
stories my First Nations families shared
with me and I felt important I felt that
I had a role to play and being on the
right side of history on the downside I
was witnessing so many horrible things
both on the front lines
and in my daily life and as the movement
grew and more demonstrations came to
Bismarck partnered with the Trump
campaign rhetoric my local living
environment became hostile I was always
hyper my race because I was constantly
varying forms of racism the bane my
walks to work and trips to the grocery
store daunting and over time my world be
so loud and so vital that I could never
get away I can never turn it off and it
led to anxiety and depression sharing
these stories is hard but important and
I found because I’m in a better place
and because the art of storytelling
honors our ancestors in their way of
teaching it requires humility gratitude
and humble listening Americans are not
good listeners trust me I’m a cultural
anthropologist and I’ve read this more
than one place and because I know this
and because of my experiences I often
have my guard up when white people want
to talk about rape in diversity without
currently have the privilege to work
with underrepresented students in a
predominately white institution shout
out to our students today who are
constantly being asked to share their
stories of oppression and I’m finding
I’m protective of that because I know
how hard it is to want to share your
story but not be taken for granted if
you want to advocate for diversity but
not feel tokenize to want to educate but
not be your consultant
and to wanna be treated equally but
valued for your identity our students
are paving the way for change and the
work they’re doing is so important but
it will only go as far as people are
willing to act upon it so what can we do
I’m not gonna leave you on that note
like a downer
so what can we do to encourage humble
listening and the deconstruction of
racist frameworks for people of color
and other underrepresented people our
role is to unapologetically claim space
because we belong here I’m proud to be a
millennial because we’re known as a
bridge diverse future when I look behind
me
I see Gen Z social justice generation
utters because soon we’ll be the
majority and in our culture’s family and
community come first we know in value
where we come from and when we make
change we make it from a place of love
so that we can all rise
for white people your role is to do a
lot of unlearning unlearn the need to
make space yours unlearn the way you’ve
been taught to listen unlearn the
discomfort you’ve been taught accompany
silence respect our experiences and
embrace vulnerability change starts with
us it’s how we treat each other how we
listen how we teach challenge you to
navigate space mindfully to be curious
to be kind and as one of our student
leaders often says keep one another in
check with love and respect thank you [Applause]
navigate space in certain ways according
to our identities as we get older direct
and indirect teachings become clear as
do the consequences of choosing to
navigate space differently from the
status quo when I say space I’m talking
about multiple forms physical space to
institutional space to emotional logical
space when I think critically about
these spaces
I see the racist frameworks embedded
within them racist frameworks being
system institutions and cultural norms
that protect glorify whiteness and shape
everything from decision makers are to
the policies that impact our access to
resources to the books we read in
schools and representation we see in the
media for people of color learning to
navigate these races frameworks starts
young for me one of the places I learned
this was in school by the fourth grade I
learned to suppress my family’s language
for the language of the colonizer in
order to fit in by high school I learned
to feel inadequate
when me and my black and brown peers for
the last to be selected for groups in
advanced placement courses and by
college I realized of my 18 years of
education I only had two instructors of
color formal education is a paradox
because we don’t to navigate that space
the same formal education taught me
curriculum that did not represent me by
people who did not look like me in an
environment that did not culturally
support me I learned the hard way about
the racist framework called democracy
during the fellowship portion of my
master’s program I worked as a community
organizer in North Dakota during the
historic indigenous indigenous led
movement against the Dakota access
pipeline dapple and I originally decided
to cross the Missouri River north of the
cap
Bismark a predominately white community
was declared to be too high-risk
and was rerouted to cross just north of
Standing Rock Sioux Reservation this
happened even though the tribe expressed
the same valid concerns and more because
of their ancestral connection to the
land and while the tribe was telling the
US government no over and over again
dapple confidently began to construct
without permits Standing Rock Sioux
tribe put out a call to action to
protect water sacred ground in a way of
life it resulted in the reunion of the
seven bands of Sioux nations though
Shetty shekaran
and mobilized thousands of water
protectors from around the world people
came to Standing Rock because what was
happening there tip of the iceberg for
all the racial social environmental and
economic injustice that has always
happened in this country navigating life
during this time was complicated
the paradox was becoming clear we
participated and the democratic
exercise our right to nonviolent
demonstrations and we were met with the
military’s response and to quickly bring
it full circle on the night before
Thanksgiving in freezing conditions out
in the Prairie police were using water
and sand gap attempt to click land from
First Nations people 2016 it was the
first life that I felt like I was living
in a pre rights era on the upside I felt
truly empowered by the values and
stories my First Nations families shared
with me and I felt important I felt that
I had a role to play and being on the
right side of history on the downside I
was witnessing so many horrible things
both on the front lines
and in my daily life and as the movement
grew and more demonstrations came to
Bismarck partnered with the Trump
campaign rhetoric my local living
environment became hostile I was always
hyper my race because I was constantly
varying forms of racism the bane my
walks to work and trips to the grocery
store daunting and over time my world be
so loud and so vital that I could never
get away I can never turn it off and it
led to anxiety and depression sharing
these stories is hard but important and
I found because I’m in a better place
and because the art of storytelling
honors our ancestors in their way of
teaching it requires humility gratitude
and humble listening Americans are not
good listeners trust me I’m a cultural
anthropologist and I’ve read this more
than one place and because I know this
and because of my experiences I often
have my guard up when white people want
to talk about rape in diversity without
currently have the privilege to work
with underrepresented students in a
predominately white institution shout
out to our students today who are
constantly being asked to share their
stories of oppression and I’m finding
I’m protective of that because I know
how hard it is to want to share your
story but not be taken for granted if
you want to advocate for diversity but
not feel tokenize to want to educate but
not be your consultant
and to wanna be treated equally but
valued for your identity our students
are paving the way for change and the
work they’re doing is so important but
it will only go as far as people are
willing to act upon it so what can we do
I’m not gonna leave you on that note
like a downer
so what can we do to encourage humble
listening and the deconstruction of
racist frameworks for people of color
and other underrepresented people our
role is to unapologetically claim space
because we belong here I’m proud to be a
millennial because we’re known as a
bridge diverse future when I look behind
me
I see Gen Z social justice generation
utters because soon we’ll be the
majority and in our culture’s family and
community come first we know in value
where we come from and when we make
change we make it from a place of love
so that we can all rise
for white people your role is to do a
lot of unlearning unlearn the need to
make space yours unlearn the way you’ve
been taught to listen unlearn the
discomfort you’ve been taught accompany
silence respect our experiences and
embrace vulnerability change starts with
us it’s how we treat each other how we
listen how we teach challenge you to
navigate space mindfully to be curious
to be kind and as one of our student
leaders often says keep one another in
check with love and respect thank you [Applause]
Please follow and like us: