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Dear Members,
We write to share an update on the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization. Governing Board and Entity Leaders engaged in meaningful conversation and brainstorming about the Imperative at our Leadership Meeting in July 2017 in Houston. As a result, we adopted updated and expanded language, as well as operational truths. The operational truths are:
As an Association, ACPA believes:
1. All forms of oppression are linked.
2. Racism and colonization are real, present, enduring, intersectional, and systemic forms of oppression.
3. Racism and colonization have informed the experience of all of us in higher education.
4. Advocacy and social change require us to work to dismantle racism and colonization in higher education.
5. Our collective education, research and scholarship, advocacy, and capacity will create positive change in higher education.
6. We believe in and have hope for our individual capacity, desire, and drive to grow, learn, and change.
These operational truths serve as the assumptions that guide our work as student affairs/services professionals and align with ACPA's mission, which centers college student learning. Our job is not to prove or convince people of racism and colonization; we believe and know these realities. Additionally, we acknowledge people’s capacities for growth and change. Starting from these operational truths, we can then work to examine our roles in perpetuating racism and colonization; naming colonization and racism when they happen; and working to lessen their impact on an individual and systemic level.
Over the next few months, the International Office will begin to push out more resources for members to use related to the Strategic Imperative. We want to thank Past President Keith Humphrey for recording a much-needed video for us to use on the SIRJD channel on ACPA Video on Demand. Please take a few moments to record your own reflection. You can submit it to pfechter@acpa.nche.edu. In addition, if you have resources or ideas, please share them with us.
As always, we welcome your feedback and questions.
Sincerely,
ACPA Governing Board and Assembly Leadership
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