Solidarity Statements
In Solidarity with Cal Poly's Jewish Community
February 8, 2021
The Transfer Center denounces all acts of hate and discrimination including all acts of antisemitism. We support and are in solidarity with the members of Alpha Epsilon Pi, and all those in our community who are impacted by the acts of antisemitism and vandalism this past weekend. As President Armstrong shared in his email to campus, “Behavior that promotes any form of hate and seeks to make members of our community feel unsafe and unwelcome – especially in their own home – has absolutely no place in our community.” To the members of our community who were affected: We see you and we want you to know that you are a valuable member of our campus community who belongs here.
For those impacted by these acts there are various campus resources available to you including, but not limited, to a virtual processing space with Fraternity and Sorority Life on Tuesday, February 9th at 7pm, SLO Hillel Organization, Chabad of SLO and Cal Poly, 24/7 Counseling Support, Student Diversity and Belonging, the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion, and more resources listed in the President’s email. We, here at the Transfer Center, are also available for anyone who wishes to process or seek support.
The Transfer Center encourages members of our community to educate themselves on antisemitism so that we can all be members of a community working towards creating a sense of belonging and inclusion at Cal Poly.
In solidarity,
Cal Poly Transfer Center
In Solidarity with Black Lives
June 1, 2020
We cannot be silent in the midst of the recent murders of Tony McDade, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahumaud Arbery. We also recognize there are other Black deaths and violence against Black folx that have not been shared widely in America. These deaths and violence are only the latest in a historical legacy of anti-black violence and murder. Therefore, we write to explicitly condemn these actions of white supremacy and police brutality. As such, it is even more urgent that we unite together in denouncing these actions and that we all work to act in ways that reaffirm our commitment to social and racial justice with a focus on anti-blackness. We stand in solidarity with Black lives
At this moment, our country is on fire. It is important that we do not get lost in the smoke but remember that the fire is fueled by systemic racism. Black people in the Unite States have suffered centuries of intergenerational trauma. The litany of horrendous, violent crimes against them has never been fully acknowledged. Collectively and individually, we must hold ourselves accountable by continuing to disrupt systems of oppression and anti-blackness in our schools and communities. Audre Lorde said "The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." In order for us to move towards justice we must all be a part of individual, group, and organizational/structural change. June 1st marks the start of PRIDE month and we remind you that PRIDE was started by Black Trans Womxn rioting in New York.
As you navigate standing and acting in solidarity with Black lives remember what Lilla Watson said "If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound with mine, let us work together."
To our Black students, staff, faculty and communities - we see you,we value you, and we stand with you. We are committed to doing better at being an anti-racist organization. The Cross Cultural Centers staff are here to support you, in addition to Cal Poly counseling services and BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective). The Transfer Center is committed to including diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings throughout the year for our staff, specifically through an anti-racist and racial justice lens. We will continue to strengthen our partnerships with the Black Academic Excellence Center and the Cross-Cultural Centers in order to provide intentional healing and community spaces for our Black students and to create opportunities to celebrate and support Black student success.
We encourage all students to join in these efforts of dismantling racism. We invite you to engage with the following resources in order to: recognize the historical legacy of anti-black violence in the United States, examine how white supremacy has impacted your own live, and support or join activist organizations in the fight for racial justice. We remind you that this journey of learning and unlearning is critical (lean into the discomfort). While you navigate this process please remember to not ask Black folx to educate you, speak for anyone but themselves, or justify their emotions or response to the events happening in our country.
- A Decade of Watching Black People Die
- Anti-Racist Reading List
- Affirming Black Lives Without Inducing Trauma (Teaching Tolerance)
- Interview with Dr. Bettina Love, author of "We want to do More than Survive"
- R.A.C.E Matters SLO
Cal Poly's Transfer center staff are here to four students virtually, please reach out to us at transfer@calpoly.edu if you would like support in connecting to or processing the resources listed above or to any other resources you may need.
In solidarity,
Cal Poly Transfer Center
In Solidarity with Asisan/Asian American Communities (COVID-19 Incidents of Racism)
April 16, 2020
We acknowledge that there has been an increase in racist attacks directed at our Asian and Asian American communities within and towards our campus community, nationally and globally. Therefore, we write to explicitly condemn these actions. As such, it is even more urgent that we unite together in denouncing these actions and provide resources for supporting those impacted by these acts of racism and resources for those who feel they are able to speak out against such acts of hate.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only further emphasized the disparities already present in our society, whether these run on lines of race, class, ability, sexuality, or citizenship status, among others. As the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans notes, “While the coronavirus represents a legitimate public health concern, it is not a ‘green light’ to target Asian Americans and Asian immigrants with racism and hate.” This is another reminder of why it is critical for us to join together as a community (even with our physical separation) to condemn these acts of racism and be change agents building a truly equitable and just society where all folkx feel they matter and belong.
We encourage our community to report incidents of bias through our campus Bias Response Team and also encourage folks to report incidents using the resource STOP AAPI HATE by the Asian American Asian Pacific Islander Civil Rights Organization. The Cross Cultural Center staffare available for students via virtual appointments and they have created a virtual resources page that will be updated throughout the spring term, and virtual programming that prioritizes community healing, efficacy, and agency.
In order to better prepare yourself to address and interrupt racism and xenophobia specific to the novel coronavirus pandemic, we encourage you to read Teaching Tolerance’s articles: How to Respond to Coronavirus Racism. Additional resources can be found on Cal Poly’s OUDI Covid-19 Resources Page.
Cal Poly’s Transfer Center staff are here for our students virtually, please reach out to us at transfer@calpoly.edu if you would like support in connecting to the resources listed above or to any other resources you may need as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
In solidarity,
Cal Poly Transfer Center
