Old Main 483
12-1pm
Invitees: Huxley and Biology staff, students, and faculty
- Our meeting started with Nabil’s (facilitator) acknowledgment that regardless of political parties, the result of these elections showed a legitimation of fascism and demanded for a discussion of intersectionality and connections across movements (Black Lives Matter, Flint Michigan, Standing Rock, etc)
- Then Dave Rossiter and other people made the point that we need to understand what we mean by fascism in order to not overuse it without understand its context historically, learn from the past and realize contextual differences and similarities in the form that 21st century fascism takes.
- Thomas defined fascism as a political ideology that promotes a single party state. “Law and order”, cultural decline and masculinity. It is a political ideology that is a-historical, so we have to think about how the past related with the present.
- Mark presented his concern with the adversarial standpoints that might be taken when one does not understand the systematic frustrations of some of the electors with the Democratic system amongst several other reasons.
- Jill proposed: Let’s not think about what we don’t want but also what we want?
- Aline: After the election our city had an assembly at C2C where the idea of a coalition against fascism came about. In this coalition, we suggested using “against fascism and in favor of human rights”.
- Nick: Communication theory unique to Nazi Germany – the spiral of silence. We can share everything we want through social media but it never leaves our self-reinforcing cycle. Can we do more?
- The question unraveled a bunch of reactions, general ideas and suggestions: from making sure you vote, to direct actions, creating safe open spaces, providing resources for targeted communities and a platform where we can spread information and educate ourselves.
- Jen brings up the concept of “allyship”: Ask white people to realize that they might not be the targeted ones, but they are also responsible for it.
- A professor/teacher shares her student struggle being a visible minority after the elections. She asked what could be done to make her feel safer and the girl suggested that they could “walk with her”.
- Kate Darby reminds us of the privilege that we have to be in this room and acknowledges the emotional overload that targeted communities have been through over the last couple of days, to the point of this not being a safe space for them.
- Aline: Acknowledging that people of color and targeted minorities can’t be here is essential because folks who do not suffer with these kinds of oppression can’t speak for us. I would like to remind us that we need to create mechanisms to let those voices be heard first, even if that means not every white person in this room will have the chance to speak (and representatives of targeted groups will speak twice). And that some people of color will feel anything but safe just by having white people wearing safety pins escorting them. Let’s not be paternalistic and be aware of the burdens that can come out of intervening in situations of oppression we’ve never experienced before. Will you be able to deescalate? Have you done that before? Do you know what it entails? Will you be ready to self-defend/defend someone else if needed? Or will you make the situation even worse?
- Finally, we came to the conclusion that our entire community will not agree on what is the one right thing to do (e.g. not everyone is comfortable blocking roads) but we can all act in different fronts to protect each other and combat fascism.
List of ideas:
- Spaces for people to speak and process the emotional burnout – ???
- Political education space – Aline (in progress)
- Ask library to erase records of readings/requests and critical thinking news – Mark
- Facebook/Website – Wendelin, Nick, and Jen
- Walk out – Maddie 1st Monday of every month