Anti-Racism Committee

March 6, 2008, Meeting Notes

Present:  Cathryne Schmitz, Cynthia East, Sarah Buila, Karen Ford, BJ Bryson (Acting Chair),  Mary Rawlings (Board Representative)

Committee leadership was discussed as Daisy has now retired and BJ while still a BPD member is currently not teaching.  Catheryne suggested asking the BPD President to continue the appointment.  This was affirmed by the committee present.

Board member Mary Rawlings, discussed EPAS seeking feedback.  We suggested the adding of nationality and/or country of origin to the wording.

An overview of the committees’ work since the last meeting was provided including the challenges and semi-successes.  Of note was the Board’s response to allegations of racist behavior and the process used to address these issues.  Linda Moore, past president, did send a timely letter regarding the concerns. This was shared between Daisy Maysi (now retired) and BJ who shared it with the individuals involved who we were able to contact.  Because individual names and information were shared no wide distribution occurred.  BJ will follow-up at the Educators’ of Color meeting to complete this process.

This discussion evolved to issues of power and accountability in relationship to the work of BPD when allegations arise.  We acknowledge no true power to hold the organization accountable recognizing that the board is the ultimate monitor of itself.  A lack of systematic check and balances does not exist.  The committee structure appears to be the only mechanism to bring forth key issues.  The Educators’ of Color do not have the same status within the organization collectively as the Anti-Racism Committee.  This seems flawed given how issues are moved into organizational discussion.

Therefore the Anti-Racism Committee is strongly suggesting to the Board of Directors that the Educators’ of Color become a fully listed, supported and functioning committee of the organization.

Further discussion occurred of the monitoring role that Anti-Racism Committee was assumed to have within the organization.  All members disavow this notion, recognizing however that some mechanism needs to be put in place.  The Anti-Racism Committee encourages the Board of Directors to develop such a formal mechanism in support of this being a membership organization that is responsive to member concerns.

Membership of the Anti-Racism Committee and its purpose were discussed.  BJ will forward mission statement and objectives to new members.  The purposes of the committee are tied to the strategic plan of the organization.  The Anti-Racism Committee has worked with EFLAG and the Disabilities Committees on presentations in the past.  International discussions of racism go beyond those happening in undergraduate social work education, as movement occurs theoretically towards intersectionality.  We acknowledge what is old is reborn in a different form.  Conceptually we suggest that the foundations for a singularly focused anti-racism committee may be passé. This is combined with the rationale that the committee has no monitoring responsibility for racist acts within the organization, its members or their schools.

To this end the committee is suggesting that the Board of Directors rename this committee to the Anti-Oppression Committee with purposes to

a)      Provide and promote greater understanding of the impact of all forms of oppression through educational and training opportunities for the membership and to

b)      Promote greater collaboration among traditionally and newly acknowledged oppressed groups.

Suggested for the next conference is a day long pre-conference institute that would provide experiential learning opportunities for “novice” (those with less knowledge and/or skills in working with multiple oppressed groups) and a separate track for those with “advance” knowledge on various groups seeking to enrich their learning.  That such an opportunity would have representation from EFLAG and the Disabilities Committees in planning along side local members.  Our goals would not be to simply have a series of individually unconnected workshops, but something that “pushed the train further down the track” and promoted a community among those who commit to diversity work within the BPD membership.  That small group work leadership would be representative of the collaborations among groups.

Task for 1 month after conference:

Provide committee report to the BPD Board (BJ)

Send out meeting notes, soliciting commitments from prior committee members for participation (BJ)

Consult EFLAG (Cathryne & BJ)

Consult Disabilities Committee (BJ)

Consult conference committee (BJ)

Develop planning committee (BJ)

Backup assistance (Karen, Cynthia & Sarah)

Develop planning committee if feasibility is possible (BJ)

Submitted by:  BJ Bryson, PhD, MSW [bjbrysn@yahoo.com]