My new rhythm seems to be every two weeks now. I always think of writing every Thursday night, but some Thursdays it appears I am overwhelmed, distracted or just don’t seem to find the space for this. But today’s space belongs to other voices. Today was the second day of #ScholarStrike, an initiative begun by academics in the US and taken up by my colleagues here in Canada to use our positions of privilege to speak out against all forms of racism, marginalization and harassment and in support of #BlackLivesMatter and the amplification of the voices who have so often remained unheard, ignored and denied, whether Black, Indigenous or other persons of colour.
I’m thinking lately about how vital it is to make space for the stories and voices of others. I am committed as an educator and artist to 1) use my platform of privilege to speak out against injustice when I see it and 2) also draw attention to the work of others and amplify their voices in the process. So today I devote this blog to that cause and want to suggest you check out https://www.scholarstrike.ca. I’m reminding myself that I can learn how to do things differently, listen more acutely to other voices and worry less about my own (God knows it’s been heard often enough). This entry is short. But sometimes what’s said is enough.