November 2, 2020 Native American Heritage Month 2020 by Yvette Alex-Assensoh, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion 2020 has been a year of clarity. One of the most important examples of clarity, specifically in regards to ignoring lessons from history, was the spread of wildfires up and down the west coast of the United States. This trend of both the fires growing every year and our collective society choosing to accept this reality seemed to have no end in sight. Then something both surprising and predictable happened. The fires got so bad and became so widespread no one could ignore them anywhere. For days, parts of Oregon recorded the worst air quality of any cities on Earth.
September 15, 2020 Latinx Heritage Month 2020 by Yvette Alex-Assensoh, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion To many, history is merely an academic subject. Engaging with it is a task, if not an ordeal, and when we do, we often feel a need to oversimplify. Either we’re learning from cautionary tales or celebrating two-dimensional triumphs. In reality, history is never something we can truly separate from ourselves. We’re always influenced by it. We’re constantly contributing to it. History is complex. It’s expansive. Yes, it is about education and celebration, but also everything in between and outside.
June 10, 2020 Black Out Wednesday Dear Colleagues Below, please find recommendations for Black Out Wednesday. Since we are a community that values knowledge production and lifelong learning, I recommend that we use the time to become more informed, and also to act in appropriately courageous ways. Begin with the questions and tips below:What do we know about anti-blackness and anti-racism? How are we complicit in perpetuating it?
June 8, 2020 Marching Forever, But Going Nowhere Reprinted from the Register-GuardOpinion: Posted Jun 7, 2020 at 12:01 AMFor centuries, black people have been the proverbial canaries of the American coal mine, literally sacrificing their lives to warn others of toxic conditions that must be cleared to ensure abundant and healthy lives. COVID-19 has made more commonplace, throughout America, the death and trauma that are all too familiar in our ghettos, reservations and barrios, with its heaviest toll being among people of color and women.
April 28, 2020 ADPI Heritage Month in the Midst of COVID-19 As the world continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing an emboldened anti-Asian sentiment sweep throughout the country, despite the fact that Asian Americans are overrepresented on the front lines fighting COVID-19. This story, unfortunately, isn’t new, but it’s a reminder of the importance of learning about and celebrating the historical contributions of ADPI communities, both this month and all throughout the year. During this watershed moment in American history, Asian, Desi, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month takes on even more importance.
April 21, 2020 Gratitude, Student Success for all and Faculty Selfcare: A message to faculty Dear Colleagues:As a tenured faculty colleague who is currently teaching a course in our School of Law, I’ve experienced firsthand the panic of suddenly transitioning to the remote-teaching environment in mid-semester. I want to echo the messages of gratitude from President Schill and Provost Phillips, and offer my appreciation for all of the sacrifices that you are already making to ensure that all of our students continue to receive a high-quality education at the UO.
October 18, 2019 Utilizing Native American Heritage Month as a Tool for Culture Change By Yvette Alex-Assensoh, Vice President, Division of Equity and Inclusion, November 2019 As we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, history is an especially pertinent subject for Oregonians. This is the first year that Oregon schools will be required to teach tribal history and life experiences as a result of 2017’s Senate Bill 13. As schools work with Oregon tribes to create curriculum, it’s important for institutions like the University of Oregon to use our platform to support these efforts towards positive culture change, both by promoting tribal history throughout the year and utilizing celebrations like NAHM in particular.
