In Solidarity

 

As staff members in the Mustang Success Center, we raise our voices in solidarity with BlackLives.

We will not be silent or compliant to racism, police brutality, or systemic oppression.

The murders of Tony McDade, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and scores of other Black men, women, non-binary folx, youth, and children weigh heavily upon us. They have abruptly reiterated that we are witnessing the effects of institutionalized racism all over the country. This moment in history is only a small view of the historical legacy of anti-black violence and murder.

Collectively and individually, we stand against and explicitly condemn the actions of white supremacy, police brutality, and the dehumanization of people of color. We hold ourselves accountable to disrupt systems of oppression and anti-blackness in our office, Cal Poly, and our communities.

The Mustang Success Center is committed to:

• Keep an open door for students to discuss these issues, sit with pain, frustration, and anger, and to connect students with resources to continue healing and learning
• Be agents of change for racial justice through our advising interactions, advisor trainings, and educational workshops
• Promote critical dialogues within and beyond our team about how racism and other forms of structural oppression and structural inequalities affect us, our relationships, our organizations, and our communities
• Acknowledge that silence and inaction contribute to the maintenance of ongoing institutional racism and other structural inequalities

For our continued education and those who wish to join our efforts, the Mustang Success Center team shares the following resources:

Starting out and Continuing learning

• Why Teaching Black Lives Matters
• A Decade of Watching Black People Die
• Interview with Dr. Bettina Love, author of “We want to do More than Survive”
• https://www.blacklivesmatteratschool.com/
• Affirming Black Lives Without Inducing Trauma (Teaching Tolerance)
• Anti-Racist Resources for White Folk
• White Friends Desiring to be Allies
• Anti-Racist Reading List
• Cal Poly Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology resources

Why should I care?

• Why it’s not all lives matter
• Violence Never Works? Really?

Self-Work

• How to Be a Good Ally - Identity, Privilege, Resistance, Ahsante the Artist
• White Privilege Toolkit

Building Community and Healing

• Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM)
• Cal Poly Counseling Center
• Cal Poly Cross Cultural Centers
• Cal Poly’s Student Care resources

Get Involved

• Bias Reporting
• Ombuds: This office at Cal Poly offers a safe place to go for assistance in resolving any university related issue, concern, conflict, or complaint. All communications with the office are strictly confidential, informal, impartial, and independent.
• 26 ways to be in the struggle beyond the streets
• NAACP SLO Chapter
• RACE Matters SLO
• Donate

 

In solidarity,

Mustang Success Center

 

PDF of Statement of Solidarity (opens in new window)