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A weekly round-up curated by Women’s Center staff member, Michael Jalloh Jamboria

In the spirit of my friend, who gave us the glorious name ‘Slaying on the Weekly’, every week I will be bringing you some interesting, funny or thought-provoking content from the internet! Be sure to join us next week for more and continue to slay!

Things you should know:

February is Black History Month! Join us in celebrating the lives, activism and labor of African-American and Black activists, scholars and thinkers this month. Need some resources to expand your knowledge of black feminism? Check out Melissa Harris-Perry’s Black Feminism Syllabus and stop by the Women’s Center’s lending library to check out all of our awesome books!

Article of the Week:

Upworthy came out with an amazing guide for new activists. Be sure to check out 5 invaluable tips on how to resist from a first-time activist.

Continue to make time for taking care of yourself. I know that is easier said than done. If you’re struggling with balancing being an activist and the feeling overwhelmed, check out Mashable’s article on what to do when you’re so overwhelmed, you can’t move.

UMBC Happenings:

The Women’s Center is continually dedicated to support throughout this semester and beyond. February is full of events and programs, all of which are geared towards expanding our knowledge and understanding of feminism and social justice. Join us for our first Roundtable discussion, What Now? UMBC Police Meet & Greet and Money 201: Basic Investing Program.

Woman of the Week: 

During Black History Month, Slaying on the Weekly will be featuring inspiring, innovative or groundbreaking black women. This week’s Woman of the Week is Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, aka Michelle Obama. As a lawyer, activist, mother and the coolest First Lady ever, we thought it would be best to have Michelle as our first Woman of the Week. Thanks for being so cool, Mrs. Obama!!

The Women’s Center staff members at staff training over winter break. We’re ready for a great semester!

This past Friday we received a timely and thoughtful letter signed by hundreds of faculty, staff, students, and alumni concerned about the well-being and future of students enrolled at UMBC under the Federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative – which provides a pathway to work or college for undocumented individuals who came to the United States as children and meet certain conditions.

We thank the authors and signers for their commitment to the values of our community and their profound interest in ensuring that UMBC campuses will continue to be inclusive and safe, especially for those who could be at risk if there are future changes in immigration policy and law enforcement. The letter specifically requested action to "make UMBC a sanctuary campus" and to develop measures to support and retain DACA students in the event that the initiative is cancelled or expires. We have begun working with University System of Maryland colleagues and will be working with campus shared governance organizations to better understand options available to us that are consistent with our obligations under State and Federal law.

In the meantime, we want to inform you of guidance the USM has shared regarding practices on its campuses, including UMBC.

USM and its constituent institutions affirm our commitment to provide all of our students a safe and supportive educational environment. While we continue to comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations and with lawfully issued subpoenas or court orders, we need not, and shall not, engage in the following activities:

• Permit immigration enforcement authorities to enter a campus for an enforcement action without a warrant unless there is an exigent circumstance (national security or terrorism matter, risk of death or physical harm, etc.) necessitating immediate action;
  
  
• Voluntarily partner with immigration enforcement authorities to assist with enforcement activities;
  
  
• Detain an immigrant at the request of immigration enforcement authorities;
  
  
• Request and/or share immigration information obtained in connection with a campus arrest; or
  
  
• Provide immigration enforcement authorities with student records without a lawfully issued subpoena or court order.

This guidance is consistent with UMBC's practices. In addition, our administration has been public about its support for undocumented students' access to public education. President Hrabowski has signed an open letter from college and university presidents nationwide, urging the incoming administration to preserve and expand DACA. The UMBC administration also publicly and vigorously supported the Maryland Dream Act, which enables undocumented high school graduates who complete at least 60 credits at a community college to receive in-state tuition at Maryland universities.

The immediate need of most students with concerns about immigration status is access to reliable information and support. Campus leaders have been meeting with numerous student groups to hear and respond to concerns. We are planning to share vetted information about resources and to expand capacity to address the needs arising in our community.

We will continue to monitor and attend to needs on our campuses, working in partnership with University Senate leaders and following guidance from the USM.

UMBC is committed to welcoming, engaging, and inspiring inquisitive minds from all backgrounds, and it is our collective responsibility to support and respect each other.

Unfortunately, from across the state and throughout the nation this past week, the news media has reported acts of intolerance and hate crimes. We are encouraged that our students, faculty, and staff have been engaged in productive community events and discussions, listening to different perspectives on the future of our country. UMBC is a model for inclusion -- not because all members of our diverse community agree with one another, but because we engage with difficult issues and are respectful in our disagreements.

However, we know no campus, including ours, is immune to acts of intolerance. All of us have the responsibility to protect and support each other. We encourage anyone who witnesses or is the victim of a hate/bias incident, harassment, or a hate crime to report the matter to the UMBC Police Department, Office of Student Life, Office of Human Resources, or Office of Human Relations.

UMBC is and will remain a place that values inclusion, diversity, and respect for all members of our community.

As we have talked with a number of students and colleagues today, it is clear that this is a critical moment for America—a moment when we sense how divided we are as a nation—and when it is difficult to know how we will bridge those divides. The world now looks toward the United States to see how we come together and move forward after an election that so sharply divided our country.

In challenging times, we come to know more about ourselves and our values as we articulate our concerns, our goals, and our visions for the future. Most important for the UMBC community and our fellow citizens now is remembering how much we share with one another as fellow humans. Though we may have very different opinions, mutual respect and support for one another will lead us toward shared goals.

As our university vision states, UMBC is a community committed to advancing knowledge, economic prosperity, and social justice, and we do so by welcoming and inspiring inquisitive minds from all backgrounds. The work that we do here is noble: We seek the truth, we educate the next generation of leaders, and we help to solve the problems of humankind. Education is more important now than ever.

In UMBC's spirit of "Grit and Greatness," we urge each of you, individually and collectively, to remember that we are all leaders working toward important goals for ourselves, our communities, and our world, and we are also all here to support one another.

University leaders are planning additional opportunities for campus conversations in the near future. Students who would prefer to speak one-on-one with a supportive staff member rather than attend an event are encouraged to contact the Counseling Center at 410-455-2472.

The deadline to apply is MARCH 1

Are you interested in funding for your project? Would you like to show your creative endeavors but don't know where to start? Come join us to discuss the potential of furthering your vision.

Workshop on funding and presenting opportunities for your work.

Friday February 3rd
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Fine Arts 107

Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) features research, scholarship, and creative work carried out by UMBC undergraduates. Undergraduate Research Award (URA) funds your work with up to $1500. Student work is shared through oral presentations, posters, artistic exhibits and performances, and film.

Join us and see how you can present/perform your creative work at URCAD, and get it funded with a URA award!