Say their names. Don't erase their disability
By Dakota Douglas | August 3, 2020If we demand justice and equality for all Black lives, we must examine our meaning of the word “all” and affirm its inclusivity.
If we demand justice and equality for all Black lives, we must examine our meaning of the word “all” and affirm its inclusivity.
To ensure that the administration follows through on their promise of transformative justice, we have to force their hand. And to do that, we have to keep from them what matters the most: our money.
Although calling for manifold actions across the university, Price’s far-reaching anti-racism commitments shared one thing in common: each would cost real money.
Facebook is potentially as detrimental to humanity as Big Tobacco ever was. It has certainly used the same corporate playbook.
Over fifty years after the tumultuous events of 1969, one still must ask: Is change really coming?
Considering the university’s long, profitable history of entanglement with the tobacco industry, why should we see Duke’s leaders as trustworthy defenders of public health?
As a second child of Chinese immigrants, I uniquely owe my birth to the Black efforts that pushed for non-discriminatory policies.
For some of us, convincing those closest to us might be harder than donating money and protesting. But if we cannot convince our parents, no one can.
I am proud to have stood in solidarity with my comrades, many of whom I have never met. And yet, I now feel as if they are all my extended family. My family of peace. My family of Durham.
At times, I want to look away from the violence, the hatred, the darkness. But even having that choice is a testament to my privilege.
Being poor was part of my identity for most of my life, but it’s not anymore. It is the best, strangest, most isolating thing to have ever happened to me.
Especially at a time like this, as we witness marginalized populations suffering the most in times of crisis, we need to take action in our own community in a more informed way.
While these small businesses wait and ponder their next steps, we should all consider what flash of hope we might be able to provide to the people who run them.
In coming to terms with my own hypocrisy, I realized that I am a living, breathing example of why it is so difficult for Duke students to have vulnerable conversations about mental health.
We were all calling to demand respect and dignity for all of Duke’s workers, for everyone that the university relies on to function: including contract workers, adjunct faculty and graduate workers.
We owe our community so much more than 12 lighthearted photos—we need to take mental health more seriously than that.
Duke should encourage students to explore opportunities not provided by the university, and not go out of their way to isolate students who want to diversify their background.
All that I’m asking is for us as today’s voters and tomorrow’s leaders to help put the substance and the facts back into our political discussions.
I take solace in the knowledge that we're all sort of figuring it out together. The collective suffering through all we've lost is but another way that Duke has bonded us together.
Duke was a leader in making pass/fail grading widely available during this crisis. That should just be the start of reevaluating how we grade.