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Articulating Values and Purpose

Reflections by Maileen Hamto, Editor and Producer

I am humbled and grateful everyday for lessons on continuous self-awareness that help clarify my purpose for doing the work of equity and inclusion. I continue to learn from interactions in my professional realm, as well as community and volunteer engagements at various levels.

I am at the "ground floor" of doctoral studies at the University of Colorado Denver's School of Education and Human Development. I am working toward my Doctor of Education (EdD) degree, with a concentration on Urban and Diverse Communities. I am taking the long journey one step, one course, one semester at a time. I will get to the finish line.

In my Ed.D. program, the course on "Power and Privilege" is required for all doctoral students. It focuses intently on how systems of oppression manifest in institutional practices and policies. Through this course, I fully appreciate the opportunity to deepen my understanding of critical theories of cultures and systems, as I synthesize learnings from an equity-driven doctoral program with my professional aspirations. My inquiry into application of theory into actionable steps toward systems change continues to evolve. Below is an excerpt from the systems analysis paper that I wrote this summer.

One of the most powerful moments of the “Power and Privilege” course taught by Dr. Antwan Jefferson at the University of Colorado Denver is the discussion of the black feminist statement of the Combahee River Collective. Introducing the Collective’s statement during our first class meeting is important in setting the tone and overarching purpose of the class. The vision of the collective to address the intersections of “racial, sexual, heterosexual and class oppression” through solidarity around the multi-textured and multi-layered experiences of black women (Hull, Scott & Smith, 1979). Written almost 40 years ago, the intent and meaning of the statement is as clear and provocative today. By articulating and identifying the values and purpose of a movement that seeks to end oppression, the Combahee River Collective successfully defined the root causes of inequities, namely racism, patriarchy, capitalism, sexism, and white women feminism. This approach inspired me to devise my own draft “personal manifesto” to guide personal actions and thoughts that articulate why I want toward solving for systemic inequities. This is a living document, a work-in-progress that will continue to evolve:

  • I will focus my formal education in leading toward equity by expanding my awareness and deepening understanding of critical theories of culture, race, coloniality, whiteness and hybridity.
  • I will identify root causes of systemic oppression and injustice, and pinpoint practical and actionable applications of critical theories.
  • I will be self-reflective in my thoughts, words and actions to ensure that I am not contributing to systems of oppression, namely white supremacy, racism, ethnocentrism, patriarchy, classism, and the intersections of marginalized identities.
  • Silence is complicity. Even when it is difficult to speak and my voice breaks, I will speak my truth as a foreign-born woman of color who benefits from anti-blackness in a racially stratified society built upon violence, genocide and colonization of black, brown and indigenous bodies and minds.
  • I will continue to ask myself: how am I showing up for women of color in the spaces that I inhabit?
  • I will always strive to be my authentic self: always challenging my colonized mindset, and to honor the wisdom of the collective, our elders and our ancestors for guidance.

In my continuous advancement in equity leadership roles with increasing responsibility and scope, I recognize the importance of clarifying intent and identifying actionable strategies in managing change. Analyzing the institutional levers for creating and sustaining change calls upon personal and professional fortitude to name systems of oppression and investigate one’s own location and possible complicity in perpetuating systems of inequities. This requires knowing and owning the mishaps and missteps in one’s own cultural identity development, as well as harnessing an intersectional view of oppression. In my own analysis of power and privilege in systems where I operate, I commit to challenging racism and xenophobia when they manifest in workforce development as well as access to education and economic opportunities.

Reference

Hull, G., Scott, P.B. & Smith, B., eds. (1982). But some of us are brave: All the women were white, all the blacks are men. New York City: The Feminist Press.

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