Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice

No plans but still want to attend a festival? Head over to the LA Times Festival of Books for their Muslim Inclusion and Empowerment from Hollywood to Higher Ed panel. Hear our co-director Shafiqa Ahmadi explore Muslim inclusion and representation with her fellow panelists.

Professor Ahmadi will be joined by fellow professors and scholars: Maytha Alhassen, Evelyn Alsultany, and Hajar Yazdiha. Varun Soni, the Dean of Religious Life at USC will be moderating Sunday’s conversation.

RSVP: https://calendar.usc.edu/event/muslim_inclusion_and_empowerment_from_hollywood_to_higher_ed

Our center's SEEDS Project was featured in the Winter/Spring issue of USC Rossier School of Education Magazine!

Read on: PDF pg. 21-23 // Magazine pg. 39-43

https://rossier.usc.edu/documents/usc-rossier-magazine-winterspring-2023

Let’s talk about critical race theory (CRT)! CRT can help ensure that all students, regardless of their race, are given an education that is fair and part of inclusive learning. Swipe right to learn about the major contributors to the field, key concepts, and the future of CRT in California schools!

Start Ramadan off by joining us for a conversation on how student affairs professionals can best support Muslim students. Part 2 of our Institutional Islamophobia in Higher Education webinar series is one week from today - Thursday, April 22 ad doors open at 11:45am PST. Register at http://bit.ly/muslimstudentaffairs. See you then!

Join us at lunch next Thursday for our free woman-led webinar: Institutional Islamophobia in Higher Education. Legal experts will discuss the impact of law and policy on Muslim students in higher education and how to best support them. Register at http://bit.ly/higheredislamophobia today!

As we are half way through Black History Month 2021, it's time to highlight the legendary Malcolm X! Malcolm X's contributions to the civil rights movement is often undermined and his philosophies villanized. His leadership is critical to anti-racist movements and social justice.In remembrance of Malcolm X, here is brief information on who he was, his philosophy, and his legacy. The final slide shares resources to explore as you seek to learn more about Malcolm X, Black History, and anti-racism.

In our anti-racist efforts, it's important that we first understand the foundations of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality - the frameworks that drive our social justice work. It's also critical that we acknowledge the scholars behind these movements. Scroll through to learn more about the foundations of CRT & Intersectionality, the scholars driving the concepts, and more resources to learn from!

This week marks the beginning of Black History Month, an annual recognition of the events, resilience, achievements, and influence of Black folx in national history. Follow us along the month of February as we continue to highlight and commemorate Black scholars and history!

Today we honor Dr. King and his team of civil rights leaders, Coretta Scott King & Bayard Rustin, for their everlasting civil rights efforts. Let's continue to commemorate their memory by fighting for intersectional equity while following the leadership of today's Black leaders.

Our Center is still conducting a Muslim woman-led research study on the Muslim student experience at HBCUs. This study builds off our previous work on Muslim students, which can be found at - socialjustice.usc.edu/research-engagement/reports/. If you or someone you know is a Muslim student currently enrolled at an HBCU, we would love to hear from you! Participants will receive a $20 gift card for participating. Sign up at bit.ly/HBCUmusliminterview

Happy Holidays from the Center of Education, Identity and Social Justice at USC Rossier! We hope you can spend this time in the best way imaginable — whether that be virtually with friends, family, loved ones, or even practicing self-care and putting yourself first! We know this year has been incredibly difficult for all, so we hope this time will give you the opportunity to relax and refresh before heading into 2021. Please swipe through to read about some of the holidays being celebrated during this time and organizations to look into, if you are interested. Want us to highlight a specific holiday in the future? DM us or let us know in the comments below!

Much love to all and happy holidays, again!

Our co-director Shafiqa Ahmadi, JD., is leading a research study on Muslim student experience at HBCUs. This study builds off our previous work on Muslim students, which can be found at - socialjustice.usc.edu/research-engagement/reports/. If you or someone you know is a Muslim student currently enrolled at an HBCU, we would love to hear from you! Sign up at bit.ly/HBCUmusliminterview

We are still looking for Muslim students attending HBCUs to share their experiences for our study! Participants will receive a $20 Amazon gift card for their time AND be entered into a raffle to win additional gift cards. Sign up now at bit.ly/HBCUmusliminterview!

This Monday, tune in at 5:00 pm PST to hear our Co-Director Shafiqa Ahmadi contribute to a panel on Islamophobia at USC, moderated by USC Dean of Religious & Spiritual Life, Varun Soni.

Hear from our Co-Director, Dr. Darnell Cole, on "Preparing for Post-Pandemic Teaching and Learning" next Tuesday, November 17 at 11:00 am PST/2:00 pm EST. Reserve your virtual seat today at bit.ly/postpandemic17

"The Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Halloween!

We would also like to this opportunity to request that you reflect upon your costumes, make-up, and decorations to make sure they not appropriating or exploiting cultures that are not your own.

We invite you to check out and share the resources from Arizona State University's Project Humanities and Baylor University on cultural appropriation in sports, entertainment, costumes, and more:
https://projecthumanities.asu.edu/content/cultural-appropriation (Dr. Neal Lester)
https://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=204045 (Dr. Mia Moody-Ramirez)"

We would like to take this time to remember Joseph "High Bird" Medicine Crow of the Crow Tribe (1913-2012). Medicine Crow was the first Native student at the University of Southern California, earning his Masters in Anthropology in 1939. After graduation, he served in World War II, during which he earned the four "coups" necessary for the title of War Chief. After the war, Medicine Crow was appointed Tribal Historian of the Crow Tribe- preserving the tribe's history and stories, particularly the Battle of Little Bighorn. For his military and civil service, Medicine Crow earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Bronze Star, the French Legion of Honor, and a nomination for the Congressional Gold Medal.

While we are proud of all of the Native students that make up our Trojan Network, we would like to acknowledge that there are still systemic barriers to entry into higher education for many more Native students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2019), Native American students comprise the smallest proportion of college students in the United States. Native Students are the "visible invisible" on college campuses that are built on their lands. USC's University Park campus is on what is known as both Tongva and Kizh land, as well as Chumash Land.

While not exhaustive, the links below list resources to help Indigenous students navigate the higher education application process, college experience, internships and career development as well as promote health/well-being.

Southern California:
American Indian Scholarship Fund of Southern California: https://aisfsc.org/
American Indian Counseling Center: https://locator.lacounty.gov/health/Location/3181175/american-indian-counseling-center
United American Indian Involvement, Inc.:http://uaii.org/

Nationwide:
American Indian Services: https://americanindianservices.org/
American Indian College Fund: https://collegefund.org/students/additional-scholarships/
College Board:https://professionals.collegeboard.org/pdf/indigenous-college-planning-guidebook.pdf (including list of Indigenous Serving Institutions and Native American Serving Nontribal Institutions)
Federal Student Aid:https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/financial-aid-for-natives.pdf
Native American Organizations: https://www.diversitybestpractices.com/news-articles/top-native-american-organizations-to-know
Scholarships: https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/minority-scholarships/american-indian-native-american-scholarships/

With the transition to virtual learning, the digital divide for Indigenous peoples has been made even more apparent. According to the American Library Association, nearly 7 out of every 10 residents on tribal lands do not have access to high-speed broadband. These findings have led to tribal lands residents being named the ""least connected"" and ""underserved"" by Traci Norris, member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and Director of the American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI) at Arizona State University. The digital divide limits educational and economic opportunities for Indigenous peoples.

The digital divide has also been named a "matter of life and death" by Navajo Nation citizen and law student Darrah Blackwater. In addition to lost opportunities, lack of broadband can mean that emergency health information and telehealth are not available on tribal lands which are especially vital during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can read more here: http://bit.ly/TribalBroadband (link is case sensitive).

Indigenous people across the globe work to preserve, protect, and revive their respective languages through education. The nonprofit ʻAha Pūnana Leo operates a network of preschools throughout Hawaii where instruction is delivered entirely in Hawaiian.

Because of ʻAha Pūnana Leo's trailblazing work, Hilo, Hawaii is now the site of an entire P-20 (preschool to PhD) school system rooted in the Hawaiian language. Some graduates of this system have gone on to raise their children with Hawaiian from birth.

Learn more about the Hakalama, Aha Pūnana Leo's research-backed early literacy program, at bit.ly/hakalama

The debate over the continued use of mascots like the "Indians", the "Chiefs", the "Braves", etc. in sports is not just a question of political correctness. According to the American Psychological Association, a growing body of research points to the "particularly harmful effects of American Indian sports mascots on the social identity development and self-esteem of American Indian young people."

Read more about the harmful effects of these mascots at bit.ly/APAmascots (link is case sensitive)

[TW: State violence] The first picture is of Tim Torlino, a member of the Navajo Nation, as he entered the Carlisle Indian Schoool in 1882. The second picture is also of Tim Torlino, after having lived at the boarding school for three years.

Carlisle Indian Industrial School was the first boarding school for Native American children run by the US government. Through forced assimilation, the school's founder sought to, in his words, "Kill the Indian, save the man." Students (many forcibly taken from their homes) were made to cut their hair, change their names, wear army uniforms, and were forbidden from speaking their native languages. Hundreds more boarding schools would go on to use this approach.

Carlisle Indian School closed in 1918, but the harmful legacy of boarding schools lives on through generational trauma, the separation of families, and damage to indigenous languages and tradition. Non-Indigenous educators teaching Indigenous students should be aware of this legacy and how it might affect student and family trust and engagement.

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Last week, in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day, the Center posted about Indigenous leaders in education, law, and policy. Stay tuned this week as we explore topics surrounding education in Indigenous communities.

FREE Native American Short Docs Showcase TONIGHT at 7:00 pm from USC Visions and Voices and La Skins Fest. The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by award-winning director and LA SKINS FEST board member Ian Skorodin.

The documentaries cover themes and experiences including language preservation, cultural foods, music, sports, mentorship, and more. Filmmaker bios can be found here: https://visionsandvoices.usc.edu/eventdetails/?event_id=34857309113297

RSVP at cinema.usc.edu/NativeAmericansDocLive

In our last spotlight on Indigenous leaders, we would like to honor Angela Riley of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Riley serves as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma and was the Court's youngest and first female Justice. She also is Co-Chair of the United Nations- Indigenous People's Partnership Policy Board which works to implement the UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Prior to her co-chairmanship of the Board, she served as an expert for three years. Riley is also a Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law and Director of the UCLA American Indian Studies Center. The Center not only contributes to the academic study of Indigenous People, but directly works and engages with Indigenous People within and outside of California. Riley previously held the Oneida Indian Nation Visiting Professorship of Law at Harvard Law School and was honored by the Harvard Women's Law Association the following year for her teaching and mentorship of students.

Today we are spotlighting Haunani-Kay Trask of Hawai'i in our ongoing series to feature Indigenous leaders in education. Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask is a Professor Emeritus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a lifelong activist in the Hawai'i sovereignty movement. Her advocacy has included supporting indigenous peoples and nations and opposing gender-based violence and the settler colonization of native lands including tourism and military outposts. As an activist, Dr. Trask has represented Hawaiians at the United Nations and other global commissions. As a scholar, she served as a Founding Director of the Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai'i and published two books Eros and Power: The Promise of Feminist Theory (1984) adapted from her doctoral dissertation and From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawai'i (1993), a collection of essays and a foundational text on sovereignty. For her scholarly and indigenous rights work, Trask earned the Angela Y. Davis Prize from the American Studies Association (ASA) in 2019.

You can hear from Trask on these issues here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_OiOMzU4nM&ab_channel=WorldPeace

The Center would like to spotlight Haunani-Kay Trask of Hawai'i in our ongoing series to feature Indigenous leaders in education. Dr. Haunani-Kay Trask is a Professor Emeritus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a lifelong activist in the Hawai'i sovereignty movement. Her advocacy has included supporting indigenous peoples and nations and opposing gender-based violence and the settler colonization of native lands including tourism and military outposts. As an activist, Dr. Trask has represented Hawaiians at the United Nations and other global commissions. As a scholar, she served as a Founding Director of the Center for Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawai'i and published two books Eros and Power: The Promise of Feminist Theory (1984) adapted from her doctoral dissertation and From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawai'i (1993), a collection of essays and a foundational text on sovereignty. For her scholarly and indigenous rights work, Trask earned the Angela Y. Davis Prize from the American Studies Association (ASA) in 2019.

You can hear from Trask on these issues here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_OiOMzU4nM&ab_channel=WorldPeace

Today, the Center for Social Justice would like to highlight the work of Amanda Tachine (Diné). Dr. Amanda R. Tachine is an assistant professor in educational leadership and innovation at Arizona State University. Dr. Tachine studies Indigenous students' access to and persistence in higher education. In 2015, Dr. Tachine received the White House Champions of Change: Young Women Empowering Communities Award for her program Native Student Outreach, Access, and Resiliency (SOAR).

Native SOAR is a ""multigenerational service-learning mentoring program"" where University of Arizona graduate students and other professionals mentor undergraduate students, who are then equipped to mentor local high school and middle school students. Watch this video to learn more about Native SOAR. https://youtu.be/Qd8hvm22vhE

The idea that Indigenous Americans have been lost to history is a false narrative. Indigenous Americans are leaders in every sector and many also work to ensure the continuity of their respective languages, traditions, and cultures. Every day for the rest of this week, the Social Justice Center will post about a modern indigenous leader (or two) in education, law, or policy.

Today, the Social Justice Center would like to honor the first two Native American women elected to the US Congress: Sharice Davids (D-KS), member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and Deb Haaland (D-NM), citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna. Representative Davids earned a law degree from Cornell Law before going on to serve as a White House Fellow under President Barack Obama. Rep. Davids is also a former mixed martial artist, a business owner, a nonprofit executive, and the first LGBT Member of Congress to represent Kansas.

Rep. Haaland earned a law degree from the University of New Mexico before becoming the first Native American woman in the United States to serve as the chair of her state party. Rep. Haaland is also a tribal business leader and former tribal administrator. In this video, Reps. Haaland and Davids discuss the significance of being the first ever Native American US Congresswomen.

First Native American women in Congress on what it means being a first | theSkimm Rep Deb Haaland and Rep Sharice Davids are the first two Native American women elected to Congress. We asked them what it means to them to be one of the firs...

Follow USC's Native American Student Assembly for events during Indigenous People's Month and throughout the year!