📝 DECOLONIZING THE SYLLABUS⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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As a student and instructor, the syllabus is more than just a contract on course expectations and due dates 📆 . It’s a representation of how a subject is being taught within the larger context of our society.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The texts and authors that are represented in the syllabus matters. 📚 Though we cannot change what has happened in history, we have control in shaping the future.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Including PoC writers and post-colonial thought increases representation ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 and expands the subject in a way that encourages critical thinking 💭.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In global health 🌎, there are many white males authors whose texts are well-known and often used in the classroom. However, there are also many brilliant PoC authors (and women in general 🙋🏻♀️) who are doing ground-breaking work. Why aren’t we including these people into our list of essential readings?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👩🏻🏫 As an instructor, re-examine your syllabus and ask if it’s diverse and reflective of post-colonial thought. ⚠️ Don’t ask your PoC students/faculty to find articles for you without putting in the work first!!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👩🏻🎓 Students- examine your syllabus for more than just the due dates and grading system. Challenge your instructors to be better and encourage your peers to elevate marginalized voices.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#phdlife #phdstudent #phd #phdjourney #gradstudent #gradstudentlife #gradstudentproblems #studentlife #studentblogger #academia #scholars #decolonize #decolonizeyourmind #womeninacademia #poc #highereducation #scholar #phdproblems
✊🏼 PoC in Academia ✊🏿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Being PoC in academia is hard for many reasons. There is a lack of representation, support, and education on navigating the academic space. PoC often face marginalization within their own departments, deal with microaggressions, and are silenced for speaking up in the classroom. To deal with this stuff on the daily outside of academia is hard enough as it places a significant emotional and mental burden on the individual. To face these hardships in an academic environment is difficult because you are faced with having to fight for yourself in the context of all that comes with your PoC identity.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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As I prepare for the academic year to start up again (I start late 😬), I want to express my support to my fellow PoC academics. I see you and I hear you. 🔥 Your brain and fierce resilience has brought you this far and will continue to strengthen you. 🙌🏽 I stand with you in fighting this fight to be excellent because we simply are.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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💁🏻♀️How to support your PoC colleagues (for both White people and PoC): ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. When they speak up, recognize the emotional and mental strength it takes to do so. It’s honestly exhausting 😭⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2. Giving people the space to talk doesn’t mean you necessarily have to agree with what they’re saying. Listen to what your PoC folks have to say because it’s important.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. But also educate yourself as much as you can instead of relying on PoC folks to teach you everything. I hear the internet and libraries are good places to learn 🤓⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
4. Decolonize your syllabus or advocate for your professors to include texts by PoC.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👇🏼 What are additional ways we can support PoC in academia? 👇🏼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#phdlife #phdstudent #phd #phdjourney #gradstudent #gradstudentlife #gradstudentproblems #studentlife #studentblogger #academia #scholars #mentalhealth #womeninacademia #poc #highereducation #scholar #phdproblems #poc #pocinacademia #womenofcolor #solidarity #decolonize #peopleofcolor #microaggressions #supporteachother #phdchat
📚 READING CRITICALLY⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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One of my favorite places to visit in Portland, OR is 📍Powell’s City of Books. It claims to be the largest bookstore of used and new books, with 9 color-coded rooms representing multiple genres and over 3500 selections. It’s pretty awesome 🤩⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I used to hate reading until the 5th grade where I met a teacher that made me fall in love with reading and writing. Reading is shown to improve brain function and memory. It is also helpful in keeping Alzheimer’s disease at bay as you age because it stimulates your 🧠 neural connections. So thank you, Mr. Perler, for lookin’ out for me ✊🏼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Reading is essential for the #PhDlife 📖 It takes more than just absorbing information from articles and books- you have to be able to read critically and ask questions. This takes a lot of practice and I’m still learning to be a good critical reader. Some ways I practice is by using a bunch of sticky notes 🗳 to tag on to pages and write my thoughts 💭. I also underline specific sentences that may become useful for future reference. I use my iPad as well to do a lot of my readings (bc e-books are cheaper), but I’m not a big fan of taking notes this way 😭⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I mainly struggle with taking a moment to take notes because I feel like my thought process is being disturbed. So I take brief notes that end up being too short for me to even know what I’m talking about when I refer back to it 😑 WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?!!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What are some ways that you practice critical reading? Help a girl out because she out here looking to improve 💁🏻♀️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👇🏼 Drop your suggestions below 👇🏼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#phdlife #phdstudent #phd #phdjourney #gradstudent #gradstudentlife #gradstudentproblems #studentlife #studentblogger #academia #scholars #mentalhealth #womeninacademia #poc #highereducation #scholar #phdproblems #reading #bookstagram #portland #powellsbooks #bookworm #criticalthinking #studytips
✨ F E M I N I S M
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In a world of double standards, women are berated, ridiculed, and silenced for standing up for themselves. 🙅🏻♀️ “In our world, a man is confident, but a woman is arrogant...A man is assertive, a woman is aggressive. A man is strategic, a woman is manipulative...” - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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I am a feminist because I believe in equal rights and equity. I believe women should have the same access to the freedom of every mediocre white male.
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If you don’t know yet, women are pretty freakin’ awesome. 🔥Countless studies have shown that when women are empowered and in positions of leadership, whole communities thrive. So why are we still fighting for equal pay? Why is there still underrepresentation of women in senior positions? Why is it so funny to tell me to go make you a sandwich, Todd? 🙄 (IDK, just chose a rando name).
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I believe in a feminism that empowers everyone. This includes women of color and those in the LGBTQ 🏳️🌈 community. ⚠️ These women are often the most marginalized and silenced by a type of feminism that speaks only to cis-gender, straight, upper class White women. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Feminism is for every body, including those who don’t identify as a woman. Your role is just as important because it addresses core issues like sexism, oppression, exploitation, classism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.
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I am a feminist because it empowers me to be unapologetic about the fact that I am an Asian woman in academia who is unrelenting, emotional, compassionate, funny, beautiful, strong-headed, confident, assertive, and strategic. And I like having pockets in my dresses 👗. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
If this is threatening to you then you better run. 💁🏻♀️Your mysogyny and sexism has no place here. BYEEEEE.
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(Also, feminism related giveaway closes tonight at 11:59pm Pacific so get in thurrrr before it closes!)
✨ G I V E A W A Y ✨ CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS @baileycrosss **Edit** the dates are for September (not August)
Hi, wonderful humans! I am so excited to collaborate with @fourthwaveapparel for this awesome giveaway!
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“In health development, as in many other areas, women are agents of change.” - Margaret Chan
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When we understand that women’s rights are human rights, the framework shifts to benefit not just the women, but everyone in the community. In today’s world, we should be fighting for all women- not just straight, cis-gendered, white women. This means you, whoever you are and however you identify, have a role in fighting for women’s rights. Feminism is for everybody.
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👉🏼To enter this giveaway:
1. Follow both @fourthwaveapparel and me @sujanee
2. Like this picture
3. Tag a feminist that inspires you and tell us why! (+1 entry)
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👉🏼Winner will be able to choose one of the three designs shown. Both domestic (US) and international entries allowed.
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👉🏼Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on Thurs, SEPT 13. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Good luck!! 💕
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#phdlife #phdstudent #phd #phdjourney #gradstudent #gradstudentlife #gradstudentproblems #studentlife #studentblogger #academia #scholars #mentalhealth #womeninacademia #poc #highereducation #scholar #phdproblems #giveaway #feminists #resist #smashthepatriarchy #werise #womeninspiringwomen #womanempowerment #feminismisforeverybody #womensrights #genderequality
