sign the petition
A dialogue for women of color took place at Northeastern University in Boston on September 24, 2005. Initiated by the Women's Studies Program, the dialogue was designed to create a safe space for women of color (both on campus and in the wider community) to gather to share thoughts, feelings and ideas. In order to create that safe space, it was asked that only women of color attend the morning session, however, a second component to the program was put in place for the afternoon, to which all people were invited to participate. The event was attended by over 70 women of color from high school students to elders, representing a wide variety of cultures and countries such as Bangladesh, China, Ghana, and Mexico.
There was a good deal of controversy surrounding this event, as white students on campus organized (primarily through the Student Government Association) to force the morning session of the event to no longer be open solely to women of color. In the planning of this event, there was lengthy dialogue as to whether or not the morning session should be open to all. Faculty and students of all racial and cultural backgrounds agreed that the morning session should be for women of color only, in order to provide a safe space for women of color to openly share and build with one another. This was NOT the decision of any one individual, or even of a select racial or cultural group, nor was it designed to be discriminatory or exclusionary, which is why the afternoon session was opened to all who wished to attend.
Currently, the Director of the Women's Studies Program at Northeastern, is being harassed, blamed and threatened for her part in hosting this event. Essentially, the University is saying that not acceptable in the year 2005 for women of color to gather as has happened in several other institutions for higher learning across the country, or a woman of color to assert that racism and white privilege are alive and well and affecting us all. Rather than being championed as a leader in the fight to eliminate racism and to promote world unity, the Director of Women's Studies at Northeastern University is being harassed and threatened and her comments discredited by University administration.
Please take ACTION on this issue. Please write to Northeastern University to support the actions of the Women's Studies Program. Please ask others to contact the University as well. Contact information below.
Please sign the petition to state that:
WE DEMAND
1) AN END TO THE HARASSMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE WOMEN'S STUDIES PROGRAM AT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY AND
2) AN OFFICIAL APOLOGY FROM NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY TO THE WOMEN OF COLOR ATTENDEES AND THE MEMBERS OF THE WOMENS STUDIES PROGRAM WHO PLANNED AND PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. WE WILL NOT TOLERATE CONTINUED ENDORSMENT OF RACISM AND INEQUALITY ON NORTHEASTERN'S CAMPUS!
Thank you in advance for your support. Together we can transform the world one peace at a time!
Important Northeastern Contacts:
President Richard Freeland
Office of the President
Northeastern University
110 Churchill Hall
Boston, MA 02115
Tel: 617.373.2101
Fax: 617.373.5015
Email: r.freeland@neu.edu
Ahmed Abdelal, Provost
Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs
Northeastern University
112 Hayden Hall
Boston, MA 02115
Tel: 617.373.2170
Fax: 617.373.8589
E-mail: provost@neu.edu
Donnie Perkins, Dean and Director
Office of Affirmative Action and Diversity
Northeastern University
Room 424 Columbus Place
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
Tel: 617.373.2133
E-mail: d.perkins@neu.edu
Dean James Stellar
College of Arts and Sciences
100 Meserve Hall
Northeastern University
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-3980
Email: j.stellar@neu.edu
Student Government Association
332 Curry Student Center
Northeastern University
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: (617) 373-2651
E-mail: sga@neu.edu
looks like i have a pretty slow workday ahead. i think i'll start writing my letter now...
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