Post on 22-May-2020
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.
Monday, April 4, 2016
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.
Monday, April 4, 2016
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
Monday, April 4, 2016
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.
Monday, April 4, 2016
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.
Brown Bag Lunch 2, Ward Room, Cartwright Center
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
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
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
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
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
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
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.
Brown Bag Lunch 3, Ward Room, Cartwright Center
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
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
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.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
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.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
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.
Brown Bag Lunch 4, Ward Room, Cartwright Center
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.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
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.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
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).
Thursday, April 7, 2016
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.
Brown Bag Lunch 5, Ward Room, Cartwright Center
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.