6/1/2017 me McClach Company Mall 7 FW am smeames lor Day dAhsacyDay o1 Presence 2017 A -- MCCLATCHY FW: Invitation and schedules for Day of Absence/Day of Presence 2017 From Love, Rashrda Sen Wednesday, March 15, 2017 5:34 PM To: Welnstein, Bret Cc: All Staff& Faculty DL Sn hject: RE: Invllabon and schedules for Day afAbsence/Day of Presence 2017 Hello Bret, On Day of Absence, we are lolks caucus exaclly as we have done 1he pasl Because People o1 Color (P00) and Whrle People have dlherem expenences race, we are provromg mlenhonal spaces so lhal lhey can orscuss lhese expenences As l'm sure you are aware, nerlher POC or Whrle people are groups As such, 1he dedlcaled spaces allow me opponumly dlscuss bolh common and orfierenl expenences groups aboul race and racrsm lS olmcull ll 15 emohonal and often hmes messy As a counlry, we have nol done well complexmes lhal ln mmo, 1he plannmg commluee has crealed schedules lhal encompass lhe lheme and makes space (or sludenls, slaff and lacully al olherenl levels of underslandmg and expenence 1o engage Whrle .1 rs hue lhal 1he Day at Absence program oeslgned lor smdenls, slah ano facuky ol color usually lakes place off campus, Ihls years planmng (made up of smderlls, slah ano facuky from around me college, bolh Whlle and P00) deClded lo reverse lhe pallern As you may have nohceo, many lolks who roenhly as POO have round me nahonal soclal and polmcal clrmale drscouragrng ln reversmg lhe schedule, we are me value at POO ln hlghereducallon ano spemflcally a1 Evergreen year we decroeo be seen on campus and lo see each olher a space where we don't ollen gel me chance 1o come logelher as a collechve group Folks who choose lo go on campus are showrng solldanly by communlly each olher mlerrogale lherr own nollons ol race and ldenhly and lo work lanoem as allres No maller who you are, pammpallon rs, and has always been, a chorce Every year lhere are P00 and people who choose nol 1o pamcrpale lor vanous reasons We are people 1o reglsler for on campus because space 15 No one rs Demg lorced alleno Ellher evem There are however, many people our campus communrly who belreve ll wonhy oedlcale 3 hours of lherr lrves engagrng ln conversalrons around racrsm, equlty ano mclusron There rs no need lor a lormal prolesl You and mhers are lree lo choose olherwrse As ll 15 week 10, I am alremely busy wrappmg up 1he quaner have no mleresl, nor do I have me hme emarl back and form ll you would llke 1o orscuss your concerns funnel, I'd welcome you lo schedule a meelmg My office rs located ln -- Have a "me evemng, Rashlda From' Weinsteln, Bret Sen Wednesday, March 15, 2017 2:50 PM -- '5 airman itie MLClawy oomprary Mall 7 FW lnvitatronandsdielules tor Day olAbseico/Day olPresencezbw To' Love, Rashida Cc. All Stafi a Faculty DL Subject: Re: invitation and schedules for Day of Absence/Day of Presence 2017 Deal Rashldai \Amen you first described the new structure ior nay oi Absence I may oi Presence al a past iaculty meeting (Wnele no room was lefl fol questions>> lhoughl I must have mlsunderslood whal you said, Lalei emalls seemed l0 muddy the waters funher, while inviling commitments to panicipale now see irom lhe boldiaced text in this email that I had indeed understood yourwords correctly. There is a huge dlflerence between a group or coalition deciding to voluntarily absent themselves lrom a shared space in order to highlight and under-appreciated roles (lhe theme of the Douglas TumerWaid play Day afADsancey as well as lhe recent Women's Day walkoul) and a group or coalition encouraging another group lo go away, The first is a lorceful call to consciousness Much is, oi course, crippling to the logic of oppression, The second is a show oi force and an act or oppression in and oi itseli, You may take this lellei as a formal protest or this year's and you may assume will be on campus on the Day of Absence. I would encourage others to put phenotype aside and ielecl this new ionnulation, whether they have 'reglslered' (or it already or nol, On a college campus one's righl lo speak--orto be--must never be based on skin color. ii there was interest in a public presentation and discussion of race through a scientilic evolutionary lens, I would be quile willing to organize such an event (it is malerial I have taught in my own programs, and guest lectured on at Evergreen and elsewhere). Everyone would be equally welcome and encouraged to attend such a forum, irrespective of ethnicity, belrel structure native language, political leanings. or position at the college My only requirement would be lhat people attend an open mind and a Willingness to act in good fallh. ll [here is inleiesl in such an evenl. please let me know al-- Bret On Mar 14, 2017. at 5,37 PM Love Rashida --wrole Dear Colleagues. As you prepare iora much needed break, l'd liketotzke a minute to remind you about Day of Absence (April 12) Day of Presence (April 14). Day or Absence/ Day oi Presence is an annual two-day event ior Evergreen students, start, and iaculty to explaie issues oi race, Eqully, inclusion and privilege. Day or Absence isa day iorcommunrry building around identity and conversations about issues oi We reunite ior Day or Presence for a day to share ideas with each other as allies. Learn more about the history and mission oirhis annual tradition here. Theme The theme this year is "Revolution is not a onetime event; your silence will not pmen you", inspired by Audre Lorde, Recently, many oi us have been looking ior tangible ways to commit to eqully on both the local and national level. This year's theme challenges us to act, engage, and build relationships that build the inclusive community we seek. Day of Absence On Day oi Absence, you can choose how and where to parncipate. This year, we will have a full-day, on- campus educanonal and social program designed to address issues irom the perspective oi people or color, moon The McClaary oompary Mall 7 FW for Day olAtaeneo/oay olPresoncezow Al the same trme, off-campus, at the Umtarran church (2315 St Nwl, we host a full-day program locusrng on and ann-racrsm work from a majorlly culture or whrte perspecnye. Due to the capacity limits of the space [znn participants), we are asking those members of the Evergreen community who wish to attend the arr-campus Day of Absence program to commit in advance by completing lorm. we'll be taklng the order or and emarl you to confirm that you're regrstered. Because of the need for a dedrcated space to explore rssues ol each or these two perspectryes, each program has been desrgned a Speclfi: ohyecrlve mrnd. And because many of us are mlxed, and may not wholly ourselves one communrty or the other, we each person to attend the program or therr cholce, wherever they leel most comfortable. Please notice that 2017, for the first time, we are rever the pattern of preVIous years; our Day of Absence program especially designed for faculty, staff, and students of color will happen on campus this year, our concurrent program for allies will take place off campus. Day of Presence The program rs a lull-day conference keynote presemanons, mulnple workshop sessrons, lunch and commumty Attached rs the schedule for the day. Information about eyemng events he announced soon. Attending the Events By to partlapate rn you are engagrng rn an and unroue opportunrty to examlne equlty and dlflerence an academrc envlronment that truly Evergreen's to learmng across drflerences, The planmng has created a schedule thatencompasses the theme and make; space lor students, staff and laculty at dlfferent levels of and experlence to engage. aecause or space some events reourre some requlre makers, and many he lree and open, Attached to emall ls the schedule lor the three programs; please revlew and make your selecnons lor attendance. Thank you to the almost 750 students, staff and faculty who are already to attendmg year's event. enoourage many more or you to lam us, Slncerely, Rashlda Love on hehallolthe 2017