By Dr. Jaclyn Maria Fowler
Department Chair, English and Literature
Social scientists have long considered the impact of the societal power some groups wield over others; that influence in U.S. society is, at its core, stratified. For example, the wealthy in the U.S. have an outsized role in decision-making, and decisions they make often further the economic divide between them and others with less wealth.
Often, neither side of that economic divide is fully aware of the social consequences. Most people do not reflect on the unequal power structure in our society, and a vicious cycle of systemic injustice or systemic racism ensues. Without self-reflection, the members of our society can pass on that injustice or racism from person to person and from generation to generation, trapping themselves and others in societal inequity.
Instead of reflecting on the essence of the power structures in our society, we comfort ourselves with cliches and half-truths. “That’s just the way things are!” we say.
In too many important aspects of our lives, we allow others – journalists, politicians, parents and teachers, for example – to determine how we should interact in society. Despite deep internal misgivings about these rules of interaction, we learn to tamp down the discomfort we feel rather than allow it to break through and into conversation.
This type of silence is one aspect of systemic injustice. And when we get good at silencing our own doubts, we help silence those of others, which is another aspect of systemic injustice.
What do we lose from this silencing of our innermost thoughts? What if we began to reflect on the reasons why we have misgivings, doubts and suspicions about the way we have been taught to interact? What if we attempted to better understand what we have accepted as normal in our society and why? And what might we learn from engaging in honest and open conversation? Would U.S. society be enriched by it?
What Will Happen at the ‘Out FROM the Shadows’ Conference
These questions lie behind the “Out FROM the Shadows” conference, hosted by the University’s English Department on Thursday, October 13, from 12-4 p.m. ET. This fully online conference celebrates those who are “Forgotten, Rebels, Outcasts, or Marginalized” and invites people whose ideas and understandings have traditionally been silenced to begin meaningful conversations.
The conference – and the conversations – open with our keynote speaker, David Brownson, author of “Harriet Tubman, Demon Slayer.” In addition, there are 17 other conference presentations that start discussions on topics such as the hidden role of military spouses, the place for facial differences in online platforms, and the authority and autonomy of medieval anchorites.
Victoria Mavis, an activist for people with physical disabilities, once wrote, “Accessibility is being able to get in the building. Diversity is getting invited to the table. Inclusion is having a voice at the table. Belonging is having your voice heard at the table.”
The “Out FROM the Shadows” conference is the first step in fulfilling Victoria Mavis’s blueprint. Each of the 17 presentations will be styled as 30-minute webinar-style sessions. For the bulk of the conference, participants will have the opportunity to choose from three concurrent presentations.
After each presentation, presenters and interested participants are invited to visit the Virtual Conference Hall to engage more fully in conversations with presenters. While visiting the Virtual Conference Hall, participants might check out the posters that several of our student organizations created to showcase the conference themes.
The conference will wrap up with words from the Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities, and Education, Dr. Anthony Garibay. Afterwards, there will be some meditation and movement, and a giveaway of Mr. Brownson’s award-winning book.
RELATED: Podcast: How to Write a Well-Crafted Paper for a College Class
Shirley Chisholm: The Guiding Theme for the ‘Out FROM the Shadows’ Conference
When we began to build a guiding metaphor for the conference, we talked about including all voices at the table. One person reminded us of a famous quote by U.S. politician and teacher Shirley Chisholm: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
Not only was Chisholm the first black woman to win a seat in Congress, but she was also the first black woman to run for U.S. president in 1972. Chisholm used her power to champion equity in education and employment, and after seven terms in Congress, she retired and became a teacher. Shirley Chisholm believed in the power of reflection and conversation in the struggle for a better society, and her voice helped others reflect on society’s taken-for-granted power structures.
But in the 50+ years since Shirley Chisholm’s historic electoral win, society’s table is still not open to a more accurate and reflective portrait of the diversity in American society. In fact, those who do not fit comfortably within society’s power structure still find themselves excluded from the conversation, and in today’s heated political exchanges, the divide is growing wider. The ultimate goal of the “Out FROM the Shadows” conference is to begin to build a larger table with an unlimited supply of chairs for everyone who needs to be heard.
We invite the forgotten, the rebels, the outcasts, and the marginalized to participate in our online discussions. We invite those who are often judged and excluded from participation in U.S. society because they are members of a particular:
- Social class
- Ethnicity, race or skin color
- Age group
- Religion
- Education level
- Appearance
- Group that suffers from emotional, mental and/or physical health issues
- Gender identity/sexual orientation
People in these groups are the silenced voices that are too often excluded from meaningful discussions. But without the diversity of voices that make up U.S. society, all of our society suffers a loss of diversity in energy, ideas and acts.
RELATED: Reading and Encouraging the Development of Literacy
‘Out FROM the Shadows’ Conference Discussions Will Be Both Meaningful and Challenging
The English Department at our University invites you to join our discussions and jump into our conversations. But be warned, because these discussions will not be easy.
In a speech to the National Women’s Association Conference in 1981, writer and activist Audre Lorde said, “I cannot hide my anger to spare you guilt, nor hurt feelings, nor answering anger; for to do so insults and trivializes all our efforts. Guilt is not a response to anger; it is a response to one’s own actions or lack of action.”
In effect, Lorde gave us all a head’s-up: the conversations of this conference are hard, but they are the essential ingredients of societal change and change is never easy. The discussions will be uncomfortable. They may provoke fear, anger, and guilt, and we certainly will not come to any type of resolution in a single afternoon. But they are one important step towards a better, more equitable and more inclusive future.
The “Out FROM the Shadows” conference provides a safe space to explore the full range of human emotion, including those feelings we have been taught to ignore or to keep within ourselves. Through discussions at this conference, we will address:
- The silencing at the core of our culture
- The beating heart of racism and gender divisiveness
- Sexual orientation shaming
- Linguistic and religious hegemony
- Trauma dishonoring
- Mental health marginalization
- The derision suffered by those who are different intellectually, emotionally, and physically from mainstream society
The “Out FROM the Shadows” conference is an opportunity for all voices to sing about their creations, ideas and perspectives. The un-silencing of voices can come in many forms, in words and/or images, through immersive experiences and/or song. Presentation formats, therefore, reflect the unique ways our participants communicate their own unique knowledge.
Pull up a chair to our table on October 13, because we are listening. Registration is now open.
Comments are closed.