According to Ibram X. Kendi, “Being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination.” These are some of the tenets on which we base our antiracist practices.
At the heart of Learning Support Services is our vision: “empowered learners, inclusive learning spaces.” We aim to foster a space where every student feels safe, respected, and heard.
We recognize that at all levels of society—including SPSCC and the Writing Center—racist ideas, practices, and policies work together to threaten, disparage, and silence people of color. We also recognize that because racism is pervasive and thrives on the status quo, doing nothing or staying “neutral” perpetuates the problem.
As a staff committed to the success of every student at the college, it is our responsibility to do whatever we can to disrupt and dismantle white supremacy[1]. We share the antiracist goal of actively changing policies, behaviors, and beliefs that perpetuate racist ideas and actions. Standing in solidarity with students of color, we dedicate ourselves to address racism in the following ways.
We affirm that...
- there are no inherently correct or superior forms of spoken or written English
- all forms of English deserve to be recognized and valued
- Standard American English, the default of academic communication, marginalizes other ways of communicating, often those used by people of color
- the ability to use multiple languages and dialects is an asset, not a hindrance; it is a competence, not a deficiency
- writing is about conveying ideas, reaching one’s audience, and reflecting personal experience and identity; it is not about conforming to a prescriptive standard of correctness
- prioritizing a prescriptive standard of correctness over the expression of ideas perpetuates white supremacy
- adherence to specific sets of grammar rules and clarity are two distinct issues
- antiracism work requires acknowledging privilege
We strive to...
- actively resist racist ideas, practices, policies, and expressions
center students’ agency, voices, and experiences
- promote inclusion and celebration of all cultures and peoples
- welcome students as they are, encouraging them to bring their authentic selves
- emphasize effective communication, rhetorical choice, and personal expression over adherence to a prescriptive standard of correctness
- create a brave space where we invite dialogue and inquiry regarding racism and social justice
- advocate for students of color navigating a white dominant institution and
- partner with other areas of the college to challenge racist policies and promote antiracism
- identify and eliminate our own racist ideas through developing our understanding of racial inequities, antiracist strategies, and our own biases through ongoing research, professional development, and discussion and revision of this statement
What this looks like in practice…
- honoring, cultivating awareness around, and strengthening students’ voices and diverse linguistic backgrounds during tutoring sessions
- maintaining antiracism, Safe Zone, and other inclusive standards in the Writing Center--while our goal is always to help students engage in thoughtful dialogue about their ideas and learning processes, we will ask students who express hurtful or discriminatory ideas and language that could make others feel unsafe or unwelcome to leave the Center
- developing antiracism resources, trainings, readings, conversations, and other professional development opportunities for our staff
- working closely with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center to maintain a conversation about how to best support SPSCC students
helping students advocate for their languaging choices with instructors and others
- prioritizing students in ELL and other language classes to create a multilingual Writing Center
- regularly offering opportunities for student feedback about tutoring, such as our quarterly student satisfaction surveys, and then listening to and responding to this feedback
This statement was written collaboratively by the SPSCC Writing Center staff. For more information about the statement, stop by the Writing Center in 22-101 to chat or contact Learning Support Services at learningsupport@spscc.edu. For support and information about diversity-related programming at SPSCC, visit the DEIC. For further resources on antiracism education, we recommend the National Education Association, Tema Okun, or Asao B. Inoue.
[1] By “white supremacy,” we have in mind the National Education Association’s definition: “a form of racism centered upon the belief that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds and that whites should politically, economically, and socially dominate non-whites. While often associated with violence perpetrated by the KKK and other white supremacist groups, it also describes a political ideology and systemic oppression that perpetuates and maintains the social, political, historical and/or industrial white domination.” Read more at https://www.nea.org/resource-library/white-supremacy-culture-resources.
