Diversity & Inclusion
The UHP BIPOC Collective is not affiliated with the UHP Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Founding members of the BIPOC Collective were critical in the formation if the D&I Committee, but have since quit the committee in protest of how UHP administration, faculty, and staff treated students of color in these spaces.
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The BIPOC Collective continues to be committed to issues of diversity and inclusion; however, we refuse to
engage with UHP administration in this setting, as they have not shown any meaningful desire for institutional change or critical self reflection.
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We have created this page to document our experiences with the UHP D&I Committee and serve as a resource for anyone passionate about these issues.
UHP D&I Committee
Throughout summer 2020, students in the BIPOC Collective have negotiated with UHP staff, administration, and faculty regarding their treatment of BIPOC students and the D&I committee. Below are a record of letters sent to UHP administration regarding various issues.
→ Letter regarding the UHP's lack of statement of support for Black Lives Matter and list of student
demands.
→ Letter regarding the UHP's initial structure for D&I Committee meetings.
→ Letter regarding the UHP's announcement that during the academic year, D&I Committee meetings will
occur on a monthly basis.
→ Proposed ideas document for the UHP D&I Committee.
→ Letter quitting the UHP D&I Committee.
Defining Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity: People from different backgrounds and walks of life come together to understand and support each other. This includes but is not limited to different racial identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, political beliefs, life experiences, personalities, and other affiliations.
Inclusion: Ensuring that everyone within this community and space feels heard, understood and respected. Your feelings and input are valid!
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The Downfall of D&I Measures:
Lisa Ko said, "The revolution will not be diversity and inclusion trainings." Diversity and inclusion measures are often criticized by more radical BIPOC activists and thinkers. Rather than eradicating white supremacist ideology in workplaces or classrooms, D&I measures often uphold it and advocate for an incrementalist, rather than revolutionary, approach.
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Though D&I presents a more progressive framework that seeks to explicitly include BIPOC perspectives, it can often create toxic environments for BIPOC participants. They may be asked to take on a bulk of the work, thus establishing expectations for more unpaid labor. The work of diversification often falls on the shoulders of BIPOC, but D&I measures institutionally establish this expectation. Furthermore, some organizations are purely performative in their D&I measures, using the committee or committee members as tokens for a shallow "commitment" to racial equity or inclusion.
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The UHP BIPOC Collective acknowledges and is keenly aware of this critique of D&I measures and seeks to center their D&I measures around action-oriented work.