Racial Justice
We join you in grieving the murder of George Floyd and the many other Black victims of police brutality. At the same time, we are inspired to witness the mass mobilizations of peaceful demonstrators who are calling for profound and lasting change. MSP activists are participating actively in anti-racism work alongside K-12 teachers in the Massachusetts Teachers Association and with our sisters and brothers in the diverse unions represented in the Western Mass Area Labor Federation. [Please read MSP's full 6/5/2020 statement on racial justice that was sent to our membership.]
On 9/9/2020, The MSP organized and co-sponsored a panel, Labor and the Movement for Black Lives: Intersections of Economic and Racial Justice. This panel featured short presentations by MSP members and UMass Amherst scholars and local union members, followed by a discussion with the audience. Facilitated by Asheesh Siddique (Assistant Professor of History), panelists included: Dean Robinson (Professor of Political Science), Ethel Everett (Western Mass Area Labor Federation and SEIU member), Brian Sargent (Assistant Professor of Sociology), Youngmin Yi (Assistant Professor of Sociology), Toussaint Losier (Assistant Professor of African American Studies) and Kevin Young (Associate Professor of History).
Labor and the Movement for Black Lives: Intersections of Economic and Racial Justice [Watch on Vimeo]
The MSP was also a proud co-sponsor of “Perspectives on Covid-19 and Anti-Asian Bias and Xenophobia”. On 9/23/2020 Members of the University of Massachusetts and surrounding Amherst area community participated in a discussion and Q&A titled “Perspectives on Covid-19 and Anti-Asian Bias and Xenophobia”. Watch the two hour event, including the Q&A.
Please contact the MSP office if you are interested in participating in union-led anti-racism efforts.