The A&S Equity Jumpstart

A number of people often use the terms equality and equity interchangeably, but they are not the same. On this first day, we invite you to learn more about how these words differ and what a difference the meanings make.

• Read: Start by reading the article What Is Social Equity? from the Melbourne Social Equity Institute that explains the many types of social equity. 
  
  
• Watch: Using a popular illustration on equality vs. equity, this dynamic video by Inclusive Communities clearly breaks down the difference. 
  
  
• Do: Take this 10-question Equity and Diversity Awareness Quiz from EdChange. Find out how you did with this answer key. Reflect on how and why you scored the way you did.
  

We all have privilege, which is what makes this concept tricky and hard to grasp. For day 2 we invite you to take a deeper dive to understand how privilege works and develop a better understanding of your privilege.

• Read: The term white privilege can be triggering for some and lead to a defensive response. In this Huff Post piece, Gina Crosley-Corcoran discusses how white privilege is still a thing, even for poor whites.
  
  We also invite you to check out this article from Well and Good which highlights the different types of privilege we all may have. 
  
  
• Watch: Privilege is part of each day of our lives. Depending on how privilege affects you it may not be easy to understand. The scenario in this video should help.
  
  
• Do: The Identity Wheel exercise, from Nicole Clark Consulting, allows us to consider the role our identities play in how the world views us and how we view ourselves. 

The topic for day 3 is bias. Bias is a normal part of the social experience, but it can be dangerous when left unmitigated. Learn more about how bias affects you and those around you. 

• Read: Bias appears in every part of our lives and sometimes it can be deadly. This article from the American College of Cardiology discusses the importance of understanding bias through a medical lens.
  
  
• Watch: Do you understand how unconscious bias affects your everyday decisions? In this TEDx Talk, Kristen Pressener answers this question in her own life while offering tips and strategies to address bias in your life.
  
  Bias is present in algorithms and systems as well. Watch Joy Buolamwini discuss these issues in How Do Biased Algorithms Damage Marginalized Communities?
  
  
• Do: Project Implicit uses an Implicit Association Test (IAT) to bring awareness of the implicit bias we all harbor as individuals.
  
  Did you know the A&S Office of Inclusive Excellence and Community Partnerships has a Bias Reporting Tool? It is designed to offer confidential resources and solutions for any experiences of bias.
  

One of the ways that bias manifests is through microaggressions. On day 4 we will be exploring the ways in which these subtle and sometimes unintentional acts cause harm and perpetuate inequity. 

• Read: Let’s start with learning about the types of microaggressions.
  
  
• Watch: In her TEDx Talk, Eliminating Microaggressions: The Next Level of Inclusion, Tiffany Alvoid explores microaggressions using everyday examples that are all too familiar.
  
  
• Do: Can you think of a time when you experienced, or witnessed someone experience, a microaggression?
  
  How did you respond? What are some ways you can respond in the future?
  Play Killing Me Softly: A game demonstrating how it feels to suffer microaggressions and acculturative stress day after day. Reflect on your feelings as you move through the game and as you conclude. 
  

Privilege, bias and microaggressions all impact equity, and have been built into the foundation of our society. On this last day of the A&S Equity JumpStart, we invite you to explore how inequities in one part of our social world and institutions build on one other to create a larger web of inequity. 

• Read: Systemic inequality has led us to this place. Find out more when you look through the lens of systemic inequality in this article from the National Equity Project. Then read how systems created and perpetuated wealth gaps. 
  
  
• Watch: Our existing social structures play a major role in how people experience social inequity. Learn more about how social inequity manifests in our everyday lives.
  
  Watch this video, Adam Ruins the Suburbs, for a quick lesson on how inequity builds more inequity. 

Watch: 

• Learn How Racism Makes Us Sick in this Ted Talk from David R. Williams.
  

Listen:

• Take a listen as Scientists Start to Tease Out the Subtler Ways Racism Hurts Health with NPR
• NPR also shares how a U.S. Supreme Court ruling led to the forced sterilization of as many 70,000 here. Take a listen!

Read:

• Read this article from The Center for American Progress about how the burden of toxic stress contributes to unequal life outcomes for girls and women of color. 
• Did you know the life expectancy of Americans is significantly lower than peer countries? Learn more about how wealth affects health in this article from the American Psychological Association. 
• The Association of American Medical Colleges how medical racism leads to Black patients in suffering through more pain. Check it out here.
• Read this article on how the negative impact of institutional racism on maternal and infant mortality for Native American women. 
• Maternal and infant health has been a rising issue in our nation. Watch as this panel discusses Healing the Maternal Health Divide. 
• Read this article on the racial disparities in COVID-19

Do: 

• Please take some time and reflect on what you have learned and how it has impacted you.
• Dig deeper to learn more about inequities in public health
  • Learn more about your neighborhood
• Think about ways you can help make a change
• Take action!

Watch: 

• Crime rates have noticeably decreased since the ‘90s. This video offers 3 explanations why.
• Check out this Crime: Crash Course to learn about crime from a sociology framework
• The video offers an historical perspective on policing that many have not considered. Watch this quick video that explains why many people believe in defunding the police.
  
• In communities in which people have more racial biases, African Americans are being killed more by police than their presence in the population would warrant. Listen to this article from NPR to see how data is used to pinpoint where disproportionate shootings of Black and Brown individuals were most likely.
  
• Did you know that many critics of the criminal legal system consider cash bail unconstitutional?
  
  • Find out Why Fixing the US Bail System is Tricky in this video from Vox.
    
• Court fees can criminalize poverty by arresting people for unpaid balances. NPR explains this in their podcast As Court Fees Rise, The Poor Are Paying The Price.
  
• NBC News documented the experiences of female transgender prisoners asking to move out of California’s Institution for Men prison.
  
• Check out this visualization on how mass incarceration targets entire social groups, like Black male youth.
  
• While mass incarceration effects the Black community as whole, there is little conversation on how it effects Black females. Learn why we aren’t talking about it here.
  
• Kalief Browder’s life changed forever when he was sent to Rikers for a crime he did not commit. Rapper Maino tells his story in his song Ghost of Kalief Browder.
  
• Have you ever considered what life is like for the 600,000 incarcerated individuals released from prison each year? 
  
  • The story is different for everyone but detrimental for many. Click here for these experiences narrated by activist Wesley Caines.
    
• Maryam Henderson-Uloho was convicted of obstruction of justice, she was sentences to 25 years in a Louisiana prison. When she was released she felt dehumanized. Watch the incredible story of how she turned her life around – and continues to support other female ex-offenders.
  

Listen:

• Kalief Browder’s life changed forever when he was sent to Rikers for a crime he did not commit. Rapper Maino tells his story in his song Ghost of Kalief Browder.
• Muslims make up about 9% of state prisoners, though they are only about 1% of the U.S. population, a new report finds. Listen to this report which sheds light on the obstacles some incarcerated Muslim people face in prison while practicing their faith.

Read:

• What do you really know about crime? Is it myth or fact?
  • Today’s article from the Urban Institute reveals 10 popular crime myths.
• Learn more about how increased police affect crime in this article from USA Today.
• Did you know policing is a relatively new practice in the United States? Check out this article from Time to learn more!
• During the Summer of 2020, calls for police abolition increased. However, there is still many questions on what that belief actually means. Check out this article on one woman’s journey to becoming a police abolitionist here.
• An emerging method for equitable court processes is specialty dockets. Can specialty courts turn lives around?
• Some consider the conditions in the U.S. prison system to be detrimental to the existence of a person.
  • Take some time to examine the Equal Justice Initiatives findings about Prison Conditions and decide for yourself.
• Read this article by the Prison Policy Initiative, explaining why states should stop excluding violent offenses from criminal justice reforms.
  
• The Ohio Innocence Project has worked to exonerate 30 innocent individuals of their convictions. Take some time to read their stories here.
  
• Read this article from the BBC on How Prison Changes People here
  

• Following the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, The Washington Post began creating a database cataloging every fatal shooting nationwide by a police officer in the line of duty.
  
• DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRIGGER WARNING
  
  • Among women who are incarcerated, it’s reported that 86% have a history of being victims of domestic and/or sexual violence. Read more about this and the federal Dignity Act that seeks to change this statistic in this Time magazine article.
    
  • Do you want to learn more about victims of domestic violence who are incarcerated and an organization addressing this issue? Check out the Survived & Punished website.
    
• As we wind down this month, think about how your personal story and your biases impact your political decisions and your perspective on how society should make change. In addition, take these action steps below to get more acquainted with the different U.S. criminal justice movements taking place.
  
  • Read about the differences between these two criminal justice movements: one that centers “reform” and one that centers “abolition.”
    
• Ask yourself these questions:
  
  • As you reflect on today’s materials, can you think of any assumptions you’ve made about crime that may be wrong?
    
  • How has your understanding of crime evolved?
    

Watch: 

• Native American boarding schools were used to “civilize” indigenous children. Many considered the programs a tool for cultural genocide. Watch this video on How the US stole thousands of Native American children to learn more.
• Although Brown v. Board made school segregation illegal, many U.S. schools are still legally segregated. Learn the The Disturbing History of the Suburbs in this video from Adam Ruins Everything.
• Trigger warning: there are some photos displayed of violence against Black people. Watch this powerful TED Talk from 2018 by David Ikard, Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University, titled The real history of Rosa Parks — and why we need to confront myths about black history. 
• Learn How the School-to-Prison Pipeline Functions with this video from The Root.
• Watch Mignon Clyburn as she explains why she fights to close the digital divide.

Listen:

• Listen to this half-hour NPR segment on the persistence of segregated schools and the difference between desegregation and integration, featuring Nikole Hannah-Jones and Eve Ewing.
• A major influence on the School-to-Prison Pipeline is disparities in discipline and court decisions. Listen to Robert Kim and the School to Prison Pipeline podcast to learn more.

Read:

• School dress codes have been found to stifle expression and be discriminatory in practice. Learn more about how Students are waging war on sexist and racist school dress codes — and they’re winning.
• Assimilation tactics were also present in Japanese Internment Camps. Learn more by reading High School Life at Rohwer War Relocation Center from The National WWII Museum.
• Take some time to read Still Separate, Still Unequal: Teaching about School Segregation and Educational Inequality by the New York times.
• Check out this articled on how America Has Always Used Schools as a Weapon Against Native Americans
• As the child population becomes “majority-minority,” racial segregation remains high, income segregation among families with children increases, and the political and policy landscape undergoes momentous change. Check out this study on the Consequences of Segregation for Children’s Opportunity and Wellbeing.
• The New York Times published an article in 2019 titled Busing Ended 20 Years Ago. Today Our Schools Are Segregated Once Again. Did you know We Can Draw School Zones to Make Classrooms Less Segregated? Click the link to find your school district to see how well it’s doing.
• Students rely on textbooks to build knowledge about our history as a nation. However, outside influences have corrupted the validity of what we teach. Learn more about How history textbooks reflect America’s refusal to reckon with slavery.
• COVID-19 Exposed the Digital Divide, check out the article to learn more about how we can work to change it!
• Learn more about Why Math and STEM Education is a Social Justice Issue from Dr. Gina Cherkowski.
• California Moves Toward Requiring CSU Students to Take Ethnic Studies to Graduate Check out the link to learn more!
• Very few states require Holocaust education in their school systems and a 2018 survey showed that two-thirds of U.S. Millennials were not familiar with Auschwitz. Read this article on how one state hopes to use education to combat the surge of anti-Semitic hate crimes.
• Learn more of the facts as Teaching Tolerance explains the School to Prison Pipeline.
• Across the country, Black girls are six times more likely to be suspended than white girls. Check out this study to better understand how Black Girls Are Being Pushed Out of School Then, read the article Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ Childhood to learn how Black girls are seen and treated more like adults than children.

Do:

• Thankfully, there are organizations dedicated to correcting the errors in U.S. curriculum. Take some time to explore the K-12 materials from Teaching Tolerance, Facing History and Ourselves, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
• Use this interactive data set to see if there is racial inequality in your school district.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15. Over the next few weeks, we celebrate the rich history and cultural contributions of people with ancestors from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Get a brief overview of the Hispanic Heritage Month by watching this video from YouTube channel NowThis. 

You may be asking yourself, “why does the holiday begin in the middle of the month?”. Well, there are several reasons. Originally Hispanic Heritage Week, the United States began observing this holiday in 1968. The celebration expanded to an entire month in 1988. Additionally, this period includes many dates of historical significance. They are as follows: 

September 15 - Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua 

• It is very interesting that these unique countries share such a significant historical event. Find out why in this lesson from history scholar Nate Sullivan in Independence for Central America: History, Timeline & Events - Video & Lesson Transcript  

As we prepare for the coming winter, many of us look forward to various religious and cultural celebrations. As Christmas soon approaches, we know marketing and messaging tends to centralize western Christian practices. To make spaces for historically underrepresented groups, this month's equity challenge will feature some of society’s overlooked observances. Please note this content concentrates on events occuring on the winter months and is not a definite list. If you have any suggestions for other dates email our team, ArtSciIECP@ucmail.uc.edu. Your responses will be included in the upoming A&S Inclusive Calendar. 

November 28 – December 6: Hanukkah

• In the Jewish faith, Hanukkah is the celebration of lights. But do you know the history behind the holiday? Test your knowledge with this video teaching the history and traditions of the holiday.

December 8 – January 10 (secular and lunar observance, respectively): Bodhi Day

• Bodhi Day celebrates the day the founder of Bushism reached enlightenment through meditation. Learn more about how Buddhists prepare for Bodhi Day with this interview from NPR.

December 16 – 24: Las Posadas

• Las Posadas is primarily celebrated in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, Spain and by Hispanics in the United States. Check out the events and practices including recipes for cultural dishes using this article.

December 26 – January 1: Kwanzaa

• Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration of the African American culture. Learn the true meaning of Kwanzaa in a video clip from Disney Channel show The Proud Family.

• The celebration is used to reflect on the seven principles known as the Nguzo Saba. Learn more in this article that explains each principle's meaning. 

January 7: Eastern Orthodox Christmas 

• The Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, Meaning, their dates of their celebrations vary from the ones many of us assume. Watch this video from BBC News to learn How Orthodox Christams is Celebrated Around the World.

January 18: Mahayana New Year

• In preparation for the new year celebrations for 2019, the Boston Public Library published an article reviewing the history and practices of Buddhist worshippers from the Mahayana branch.

February 1: Chinese New Year

• Also known as Lunar New Year, the festival celebrates the beginning of spring and the star of New Year. Check out this video from ClickView to learn more about the cultural and historical significance of the holiday. 

• The year 2022 is set to be the year of the Tiger, the third zodiac in the 12-year cycle. The Chinese Zodiac may carry more significance than you think. Find out why in this Ted Talk from ShaoLan Hseuh.

March 1: Maha Shivaratri

• A predominantly Hindu tradition, Maha Shivaratri marks the end of winter and celebrates the incoming summer by honoring the God of destruction, Lord Shiva. Participants typically observe a day of fasting prior to the traditional feasts and festivals. Learn more about Maha Shivaratri's meaning by reading this article.