Dear OCADFA members,
Students across Canada are taking action today on a student-led strike against anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism. The strike will also commemorate Orange Shirt Day and take place online in a series of webinars:
11am to 12:30pm: Why we strike and Orange Shirt Day teach-in
1pm to 2:15pm: Defund the police and cops off campus
2:30pm to 3:30pm: Barriers to education
4pm to 7pm: Underfunded and underrepresented: Racism in the classroom
We encourage members to support this important initiative. Here is how you could participate:
· Watch and share the video about the strike.
· Announce the webinars to your students and encourage them to attend. Click here to RSVP.
· If you teach on September 30, consider bringing your class to one of the webinars.
· Change your Zoom background on September 30 to commemorate Orange Shirt Day.
· Follow the strike on Instagram and like on Facebook.
· Post on social media a shareable about the event.
For more information, please visit the strike website.
Sincerely,
Min Sook Lee
President, OCADFA
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All Out September 30!
What is All Out September 30?
This Wednesday, September 30, join student leaders from across Canada for All Out September 30th (#AOS30) Orange Shirt Day commemoration and **a pan-Canadian student-led strike against racism in post-secondary institutions** and in support of Indigenous, Black, and racialized students, staff, and faculty.
As a long overdue conversation occurs nationally and globally on the persistent and systemic nature of anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism within our societies, we know all too well how complicit our post-secondary institutions are. Our institutions “pride” themselves on equity, diversity, and inclusion while simultaneously targeting, harassing, and oppressing Indigenous, Black, and racialized bodies on their campuses.
Enough is enough! We have led and organized many campaigns, actions, and protests against racism over the years. Now we believe it is time to strike!
The #S30Strike demands
· Free and accessible education for all, with increased targeted grants and bursaries for Indigenous, Black, and racialized students
· Province- and campus- wide recognition and implementation of Orange Shirt Day, an annual event which commemorates and honours the experiences of Indigenous children who were stolen and lost to the Residential School System
· Defunding of the police and cops off campuses
· Removal of the Egerton Ryerson statue from Ryerson University campus
· Province-wide Implementation of race-based data
· Decent work and decent pay on our campuses and in our communities
· More Black and Indigenous faculty, teachers, and staff
· More services, programs, and supports for Black and Indigenous students
· Implementation and prioritization of specialized programs
How to support in the lead-up to the strike
AOS30 is currently doing a call-out for student testimonies, sharing “Why are you striking on September 30?” Testimonies are to be 15 seconds or less in length, and can be shared with organizers via Facebook or Instagram dm’s or through their email at alloutseptember30@gmail.com. Students, faculty, staff, and allies are also invited to share their testimonies on their stories and tag @allouts30. Themes can include:
· An act or pattern of racism you experienced or witnessed while at school
· A vision or goal you have for the education system
What to expect on strike day
The virtual strike will be hosted via Zoom on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 11am to 7pm EDT. Organizers are asking participants to attend wearing orange.
Scheduled programming (times are displayed in EDT):
11am to 12:30pm
Why we strike and Orange Shirt Day teach-in
This webinar includes welcome and opening remarks, a rally, and a teach-in. Click here to RSVP and for Zoom link.
1pm to 2:15pm
Defund the police and cops off campus
This webinar delves into abolitionist frameworks about policing in relation to post-secondary institutions, and the importance of defunding, demilitarizing, and abolishing the police, as well as exploring the ways in which these experiences manifest themselves within the education system. Click here to RSVP and for Zoom link.
2:30pm to 3:30pm
Barriers to education
This webinar discusses the various barriers to education that Indigenous, Black, and racialized students may experience when accessing post-secondary education. Click here to RSVP and for Zoom link.
4pm to 7pm
Underfunded and underrepresented: Racism in the classroom
This webinar discusses the experiences of BIPOC students, staff, and faculty both in and outside the classroom. Click here to RSVP and for Zoom link.
To sign-up and for a full summary of the webinars, please click here.
Social media handles and shareable promotional content
· Hashtags: #AllOutSep30 #AOS30 #S30Strike #OrangeShirtDay
· Email: alloutseptember30@gmail.com
· Website
All Out September 30 is a grassroots movement founded by Indigenous, Black, and racialized student leaders and allies from campuses across the Greater Toronto Area and with organizers on campuses across the country.