While I wish the UAF administration would make some sort of formal statement against the attacks on science, women's rights, and racial justice in this country, at least they are allowing the normal events to proceed, including celebrating Black History Month and Martin Luther King Day. We faculty have also been instructed to change nothing on our websites or syllabi. All of the nondiscrimination statements remain, including EEO and references to our Equity and Compliance office, which still states that "Our overall goal is to provide a respectful, diverse and inclusive university environment." Take that, Trump!
Yesterday was Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, and we received an email.
Elizabeth Peratrovich dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of Indigenous peoples, leading to the passage of The Alaska Equal Rights Act of 1945. It was the first anti-discrimination law passed in the United States, passed before Alaska even gained statehood.
I am grateful that UAF Chancellor Dan White still sent out an honorary email yesterday.
Even more impressive, the Alaska State Department of Transportation also sent out a very long and detailed email on Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, which is also called Alaska Civil Rights Day.
My very own College of Engineering and Mines featured in its monthly newsletter the contributions of three African-American engineer regiments—the 93rd, 95th, and 97th, along with the 388th battalion—to building the AlCan! "Despite operating under military segregation and facing discrimination, these Black engineers defied prejudices, proving their expertise and determination in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. Their contributions, nearly erased from history, were later uncovered through the research of historians like Lael Morgan, Christine McClure, and Dennis McClure." I thought it was wonderful of them to find a locally relevant connection.
I am grateful to the State of Alaska for refusing to go along with Trump's attempted erasure of the contributions of non-white people to this country. We, too, have contributed to Making America Great. And if you are rolling your eyes right now, I welcome you to quit reading my blog. (And I challenge anyone who believes I am or was ever a "diversity hire" to assemble a resumé that is more strongly qualified for any of my jobs, including placement into Lowell High or UC Berkeley. I'll wait patiently.)
