Standing Against Racism

Standing Against Racism and Injustice

De Anza College is reaffirming its longstanding commitment to equity by taking a stand – and taking action – against racism and injustice.

On this webpage, you'll find information about events and activities, resources for learning and discussion, statements in solidarity and important updates. Click these links or scroll down to learn more.

• Taking action against anti-Asian racism
• Upcoming events and activities – including the Ethnic Studies Multiracial Panel series: "Our Histories, Our Experiences, Our Lives" NEW 
• CAN/DID Inclusion Series
• Resources and organizations – including bystander intervention strategies NEW
• Increasing support for Black students
• Additional statements in solidarity
• Reading list and learning tools

Taking Action Against Anti-Asian Racism

In a recent email to students, faculty members and classified professionals. De Anza President Lloyd A. Holmes outlined plans for a collegewide response to the recent surge in racist attacks on people of Asian descent. This response includes opportunities for the college community to share knowledge and solidarity against racism, through online events held on March 23 and April 6, and others. Check this webpage for more upcoming activities. 

De Anza Joins April 10 Rally Against Anti-Asian Racism

Representatives from De Anza College and the Foothill-De Anza Community College District joined the Stop Asian Hate Rally held outside Cupertino City Hall on Saturday, April 10. 

• For more photos, please visit the April 10 rally webpage
• See photos from the earlier rally held in Saratoga on March 27

Then and Now: A Conversation on the History of Racism in the U.S.

This panel discussion on April 6, 2021 was moderated by Chesa Caparas, faculty coordinator for the Jean Miller Resource Room, and Jodi Wong, student and former editor of La Voz News.

Panelists included

• Robert Handa, De Anza alum, NBC Bay Area reporter and host of Asian Pacific America
• Mae Lee, chair, Asian American and Asian Studies
• Jim Nguyen, instructor, Political Science

WATCH THE ZOOM RECORDINGCosponsors include the Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education; the Asian American and Asian Studies Department; and the Asian Pacific American Staff Association.

CAN/DID Inclusion Series

Racism and scapegoating during the coronavirus pandemic is one of the topics addressed in the new CAN/DID Inclusion Series, a multimedia project by the Office of Communications, in consultation with the Office of Equity, that examines equity and social justice issues by drawing on the knowledge and experiences of our own community members.

• View the whole series at deanza.edu/candid

Resources and Statements on Anti-Asian Racism

You'll find more information and resources on this issue by visiting the Asian American and Asian Studies Department's COVID-19 Resources webpage.

• Message From President Holmes

  Feb. 11, 2021

  Dear Students and Colleagues,

  Particularly as we enter the Lunar New Year, it deeply saddens me to learn of continuing violence, threats and racism against the Asian and Asian American community. As we have seen, there has been a rise in violence against members of that community in our region and beyond, yet it continues to be underreported by mainstream media.

  My heart goes out to those subjected to these attacks – most often the elderly – and to our students and colleagues who are emotionally affected by this undercurrent of threat, which surged at the time of the pandemic last year. I'm told that an ongoing survey by the Asian American and Asian Studies Department (ASAM) and the Asian Pacific American Staff Association (APASA) shows that two-thirds of respondents have personally experienced, witnessed, or been told by someone they know of an incident of anti-Asian hostility, even before the recent spate of violence. Please know that Psychological Services can provide services for students, and the Employee Assistance Program can assist our faculty and staff.

  President Joe Biden showed great leadership within the first week of his term by signing an executive order directing federal agencies to combat xenophobia against the Asian American Pacific Islander community. The Foothill-De Anza Board of Trustees in May of last year approved a resolution denouncing xenophobia and anti-Asian sentiment. I was proud – shortly thereafter – to join this community of such care.

  De Anza College condemns these acts of violence against our community members. And we must not only condemn, but take action as part of the equity work in which the college has long been engaged.

  Early in the pandemic, ASAM chair Mae Lee developed website resources on the topic of addressing scapegoating of the community. This page was featured on key college websites during the early part of the pandemic, and is now linked from websites including the CAN/DID Inclusion Series page.

  I hope you have been viewing the installments of the college's CAN/DID series, produced by the Office of Communications in consultation with the Office of Equity and others collegewide. Today there is a powerful new trailer on upcoming segments on anti-Asian racism and scapegoating.

  WATCH THE TRAILER 

  Look for a new video in the series next week, featuring Mae and DASB President Katelyn Pan, with more installments to come. The Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education will collaborate in planning a Community Conversation around an upcoming CAN/DID video on anti-Asian racism, with details to come soon on this and other important events.

  Dean of Equity and Engagement Alicia Cortez has proposed an event specifically for our students, led by culturally responsive faculty – including counselors – and classified professionals, to hear student concerns and provide resources.

  Significantly, Dean Edmundo Norte has announced that the Intercultural/International Studies Division will be developing a multiracial panel for an event to build support across all affinity groups – a step toward collective understanding, building alliances, and dismantling structural racism.

  This is a crucial action, and Edmundo made an invaluable point in an email on which I was copied: "We cannot ignore the deadly impacts of silence as erasure in our AAPI and Native American communities any more than we can ignore the impacts of the demonization and targeting of Black and Brown bodies by police. We need to understand amongst each other how we are being both uniquely and collectively impacted."

  I support this wholeheartedly, and look forward to these important events bringing our communities together. It must be noted, with great sadness, that this spate of violence against the AAPI community comes as we celebrate Black History Month, honoring the many accomplishments of Black men and women subjected to gross violence, historically and currently.

  In this most challenging of times, I wish those in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities a Happy Lunar New Year, with the hope that the Year of the Ox will be a good year for all in the De Anza College community. Please enjoy your long weekend.

  With appreciation,
  Lloyd A. Holmes
  President, De Anza College

• Statement in Solidarity From the BFSA

  

  Statement of Solidarity

  We the Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Network (BFSA) denounce the current rise of overt anti-Asian racism throughout our country and communities: To our API students, colleagues and friends, we see you, we hear you and we stand with you.

  As African-Americans who have experienced and continue to experience anti-Black racism, discrimination and racially motivated violence over the past 400 years, we understand the fear, pain and anger such treatment creates. In light of recent events, we the members of the BFSA Network will not stand as silent witnesses to the violence and racial prejudice committed against our Asian brothers and sisters. In such precarious times, we must stand up for each other now more than ever.

  The members of the BFSA Network will use our voices to speak out against xenophobic ideologies, hate crimes and physical violence that target the Asian and Pacific Islander communities.

  • We stand in solidarity with our APASA and API colleagues, students, friends and community members at De Anza College to combat racist attacks.
  • We understand that the system designed to pit Black and the API communities against each other originates from the white supremacy, and is the same racist system that impacts every facet of life for people of color.
  • We will use our voices to speak against and seek an end to systemic racism, discrimination and racially motivated violence.
  • We will encourage members of the BFSA and Black community to engage in dialogue and education to learn how to become effective allies to API communities.

   

  We stand with Asian and Pacific Islander communities in solidarity,

  Melinda Hughes, President, BFSA; Co-Chair, Equity Action Council; Faculty Assistant Director, EOPS

  Derrick E. Felton, Vice President, BFSA; Adjunct Professor

  Leah Smith, Secretary, BFSA Secretary; Coordinator, EOPS

  Chrissy Parker, Treasurer, BFSA; Administrative Assistant II

  Michele LeBleu-Burns, Member, BFSA; Dean, Student Development and EOPS

  DuJuan Green, Member, BFSA; Adjunct Professor

  Deborah Taylor, Member, BFSA; Laboratory Technician

  Glynn Wallis, Member, BFSA; Counselor, EOPS

  Maurice Canyon, Member, BFSA; Counselor, Umoja Community

  Pauline Wethington, Member, BFSA; Counselor

  Sheldon Fields, Member, BFSA; Counselor, Men of Color Community

  Mary Clark-Tillman, Member, BFSA; Curriculum Coordinator

  Robert Alexander, Member, BFSA; Counselor

  Wendy White, Member, BFSA; Instructor

  Kevin Glapion, Member, BFSA' Counselor, Disabled Student Services

  Iman Seale, Member, BFSA; Communications Associate

  Moaty Fayek, Dean, Business, Computer Science and Applied Technologies

  Natasha Joplin, Counselor

  Myisha Washington, Interim Vice Chancellor, Human Resources

  Sasha Bostick, Member, BFSA; Administrative Assistant II

• Resolution by the Foothill-De Anza District Board of Trustees

  The following was adopted unanimously by the Foothill-De Anza Comunity College District Board of Trustees on March 15, 2021:

  Resolution 2021-09 of the Board of Trustees of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Reaffirming the District’s Commitment to the Well-Being and Safety of Asian American Community Members

  WHEREAS, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees adopted resolution 2020-13 denouncing xenophobia and anti-Asian sentiment arising due to fears of the COVID-19 pandemic and affirming the district’s commitment to the well-being and safety of Asian American communities on May 4, 2020; and

  WHEREAS, the Pew Research Center reports that nearly one-third of Asian Americans report that they have been subject to discrimination since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

  WHEREAS, the San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies Department, Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), and the Asian Pacific Planning and Policy Council (A3PCON) launched the Stop AAPI Hate website to collect and track incidents of anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander hate violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying in California and nationwide at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in March of 2020; and

  WHEREAS, the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center documented over 2,800 hate incidents against Asian Pacific Islander (API) Americans in 2020; and

  WHEREAS, more than 700 of these incidents occurred in the San Francisco Bay Area; and

  WHEREAS, incidents of hate crimes against Asian Americans continue to rise in the San Francisco Bay Area, some notable for their violence and cruelty; and

  WHEREAS, the recent rise of violence against Asian Americans is part of a larger history of violence against communities of color that we must commit to end in all communities.

  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees reaffirms its commitment to the well-being and safety of Asian American community members; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees stands with California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley who has declared:

  Discrimination and hate crimes targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have no place in civilized society and must be condemned in the strongest terms. Xenophobia, racism and intolerance threaten our democratic values and social wellbeing. The California Community Colleges remains resolute in supporting and standing with Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, students, faculty and staff. These cowardly acts cannot be tolerated and add to the urgency of our ongoing work and actions to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion within our system.

  PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Trustees of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District on the 15th day of March, 2021, by the following vote:

  AYES: Patrick Ahrens, Laura Casas, Pearl Cheng, Peter Landsberger, Gilbert Wong, Max Meyberg, Priya V

  NOES: none

  ABSTAIN: none

  ABSENT: none

  _______________________________________

  Judy C. Miner, Ed.D.

  Chancellor and Secretary to the Board of Trustees 

More Events and Activities

Be sure to check the college Events Calendar for more upcoming activities.

• Share your upcoming event information! Please use the online form or send details to communications@deanza.edu  

Momentum – Social Sciences and Humanities Series

Momentum is a series of online talks focusing on equity, inclusiveness and social justice, hosted by Elvin T. Ramos, dean of Social Sciences and Humanities. For more information, visit the Momentum website.

Previous Events

• You'll find a list of previous college events lower on this webpage.

Resources and Organizations

• College Resources

  Academic Programs

  • Asian American and Asian Studies
  • Equity and Engagement Division
  • Intercultural/International Studies
  • Women’s Studies 

  ---

  College Organizations

  • Asian Pacific American Staff Association
  • Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Network
  • De Anza Latinx Association
  • Equity Action Council

  ---

  Information and Support

  • Addressing Anti-Asian Scapegoating
  • CAN/DID Inclusion Series
  • HEFAS: Higher Education for 
    AB 540 Students
  • Undocumented Student Resources 
  • Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education
  • Jean Miller Resource Room for Women, Genders and Sexuality
  • Institutional Research
  • Psychological Services

  ---

  Learning Communities

  • First Year Experience
  • IMPACT AAPI
  • LEAD: Latinx Empowerment at De Anza
  • Men of Color Community
  • Puente Project
  • REACH: Reading, English, Athletics, Counseling and Humanities
  • Umoja Community
  • VIDA: Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy in Action

   

• Community Resources

  Here are some (mostly) local organizations that offer information, training and advocacy for racial equity and social justice.

  • Asian Americans for Community Involvement 
    – training for leadership and advocacy
  • Black Lives Matter 
    – information and activism
  • Sacred Heart Community Service 
    – social justice education, Rapid Response Network for immigrants
  • Showing Up for Racial Justice 
    – education and activities for white people who want to support equity
  • Silicon Valley DeBug 
    – community organizing, advocacy
  • SIREN – Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network
  • Viet Unity – grassroots organization for social justice 

Increasing Support for Black Students

On June 8, 2020, Interim President Christina G. Espinosa-Pieb announced some initial steps the college is taking to increase support for Black students at De Anza. This followed her May 29 statement of support for all Black and underrepresented students and colleagues at the college.

• June 8 Message From Interim President Espinosa-Pieb

  June 8, 2020

  Dear Students,

  This has been a wrenching time for our Black students, faculty and staff, and for all Black Americans.

  I know you join me in in feeling sadness and anger about the death of George Floyd, and every other horrific act of racism and violence perpetrated against those who are Black. Many of us have been participating in peaceful protests across the Bay Area, while watching similar efforts unfold across the country.

  It has also been a time of listening for our senior staff at De Anza College. In group meetings and individual conversations, we have been hearing from students, program representatives and community members, as well as the Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Network (BFSA) at De Anza.

  In response to what we have heard, we are announcing today that we will establish a full-time, tenure-track counselor/coordinator position for the Umoja program to serve our Black students. The hiring process will begin immediately.

  We also will fund – through donations to the De Anza President's Fund – a scholarship that BFSA will name and award, based on criteria they will develop.

  We know these are small steps, and simply a beginning. Our listening will continue, as will our follow-up. This cannot be said too many times: We stand with – and for – our Black students and community.

  Later this week, on Wednesday, BFSA will host an online forum for Black students. You can find more information and resources on the new Standing Against Racism webpage in the Office of Equity section of the college website.

  We also want to make sure you’re aware that counseling support is available to you during this time of extraordinary stress. In addition to one-on-one counseling, our Psychological Services office is hosting a series of online group discussions for students this week and next. This information can also be found on the new webpage at deanza.edu/equityoffice/against-racism, and we will continue to add updates and additional resources to that page.

  Please do take care of yourself.

  Kindly,
  Christina 

  Christina G. Espinosa-Pieb
  (Pronouns: She/Her/Hers/Herself/Ella)
  Interim President

  [The message above was sent via email to all students. A similar message was emailed to De Anza's faculty and classified professional staff members.]

• May 29 Message from Interim President Espinosa-Pieb

  May 29, 2020

  Dear Students and Colleagues,

  Racism continues to be deeply embedded in this country, and I am proud it is something De Anza College has long worked against. I know we all deplore the violent death of yet another African American person at the hands of police, and that our hearts go out to the family and friends of George Floyd, and to the African American community.

  We know that our African American students, faculty and staff are in pain – a pain I imagine must feel both never-ending and yet recurring, with each death. We know this pain is compounded by each act of racism, such as this week's reprehensible incident in Central Park – just one of so many similar occurrences.

  Today, I want each of you to know that we stand with and by our African American and all underrepresented students, at a college that holds true equity as a central value.

  Kindly,
  Christina 

  Christina G. Espinosa-Pieb
  (Pronouns: She/Her/Hers/Herself/Ella)
  Interim President

  [The above message was sent via email to all De Anza students, faculty and classified professional staff.]

2020 Grad Speaker and BFSA Awards

At the invitation of the President’s Office, the Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Network (BFSA) selected Tamara Williams as student speaker for De Anza's 2020 Commencement Celebration. 

Watch Tamara's speech

In addition, the BFSA selected four graduating students to receive newly established Du Bois and Sankofa awards for academic achievement. Each received $1,000 provided by donors through the President's Fund. 

Read about the award recipients

Additional Statements in Solidarity

De Anza College employees and programs issued these statements of solidarity following the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

• African American Studies

  

  To the Black students of De Anza College, your Black life matters. FULL STOP.

  We, the professors in the African American Studies Department, stand by you. We see you. We know your pain, we share that pain. We know you’re tired of systems refusing to change, we are exhausted right there with you.

  We understand what you are dealing with, in the midst of an historic and global pandemic, which is over-impacting our community. We are now bombarded with countless images of death and violence on bodies that look like us, our sisters and brothers, our transfamily members, our aunts and uncles, and we are overwhelmed, angry, and hurting.

  We understand your frustration and need to be seen, heard, and affirmed in your humanity. We see you, we affirm you, and again, your life matters. Our lives matter.

  We shouldn’t have to make statements of solidarity, because solidarity is an on-going and lived experience. We also know that often that has not been your experience on this campus. We share in that experience as well.

  We ask our fellow students, staff, faculty, and campus community members to do more than make a statement of solidarity for us. Rather, we urge you to take the time to do some serious self-reflection and create a plan of action for confronting and irradicating anti-Blackness and white supremacist structure models inherent within the infastructure of higher education and on the campus of De Anza college.

  We call upon our Associated Student Body to create a student-led coalition on eradicating anti-Blackness policies and procedures on the campus and within the district. If we ever want to truly live to our greatest capacity as human beings then Black lives have to matter to you.

  In solidarity with all oppressed peoples around the world! #BlackLivesMatter

  This statement was shared by Julie Keiffer-Lewis and Jess D. Hamilton, co-creators of the Black Leadership Collective, on behalf of the African American Studies Department.

• Asian and Asian American Studies / Asian Pacific American Staff Association 

  

  Asian and Asian American Studies (ASAM) and Asian Pacific American Staff Association (APASA) raise our collective voices in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and Black communities:

  As classified professionals, faculty, alumni, and former employees at De Anza College, while many of us cannot know or understand how it feels to be Black in America, we are enraged about the fact that yet another solidarity statement must be written because George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless other Black lives have died at the hands of police.

  It is also unacceptable that people are still protesting the continuous systemic injustices that continue to harm black and brown bodies in this country.

  ASAM and APASA recognize the importance and urgency of showing up for and being a part of those actively resisting police violence and racism towards communities of color, both of which are a part of the legacy of white supremacy.

  “Enough is enough!” THEREFORE:

  • We refuse to stand by, watch and be complicit with police violence, killings, and racism
  • We refuse to hide behind the model minority stereotype that places Asian Americans in proximity to whiteness because we know that dismantling white supremacy depends on it
  • We believe that Asian American and Pacific Islander communities need to talk about anti-Black racism and confront the internalized oppression in our families in an effort to dismantle white supremacy
  • We encourage members of our own Asian American and Pacific Islander community to engage in anti-racist/Black education so that we may become truly effective allies and build solidarity with the Black community and alongside all oppressed groups in our shared fight against racism and hate
  • We acknowledge that without the sacrifices, commitment and struggles that the Black community has historically fought for and continue to do so today, that our own fight for equity, inclusion and social justice would have never culminated
  • We stand in strong solidarity with our Black and Brown colleagues, students and community members at De Anza College
  • We stand in strong solidarity with those on the streets protesting these injustices and refuse to characterize peaceful protests as looting and riots without calling out the presence of white supremacists and terrorists who have appropriated those collective cries for justice
  • We demand the dismantling of any forms of institutionalized racist systems that require groups to pit against rather than support one another, and
  • We denounce Trump’s derogatory and racist rhetoric that has only served to inflame and degrade what is already a volatile situation

  We stand with Black Communities in solidarity!

  This statement was read aloud at the June 2 district Board of Trustees meeting by Christine Chai and Dawn Lee Tu on behalf of ASAM and APASA. 

• De Anza Latinx Association

  

  The De Anza Latinx Association (DALA), a staff, faculty and administrators association stands in solidarity with our African American students, faculty, staff, and the Black community at large. The recent police violence, hate crimes, and vitriol against members of the Black community – George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, D’Andre Campbell, Tony McDade, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Ahmaud Arbery, Christian Cooper and many others who we simply are not aware of – has been a visceral kick in the gut, a felt stab in the heart, bringing into stark relief the reality of the ongoing terror and racism that has been with us for hundreds of years. We wrestle with our own rage and anguish as we grieve the loss of untold innocent lives within the Black community; these are our brothers and sisters – our relatives.  

  These tragedies come during an unprecedented pandemic that, once again, because of systemic racism disproportionately affects the lives of African Americans; a community that has suffered unemployment, morbidity and death at a higher rate than white communities.   

  This must change.  Systems that create and uphold racist impacts must be dismantled.  We must each do our part, individually and more importantly collectively, to dismantle exploitive and unjust laws, policies and practices.  We, of DALA, commit to doing our work to question and root out anti-Blackness both within our own individual consciousness, within the Latinx community, and anywhere that we see it manifest.  We acknowledge that we have all been infected by the virus of racism and anti-Blackness and that we must always be vigilant against the ways in which we have all internalized harmful racial attitudes, sentiments and practices. While this work is just and moral, it is also the work of cleansing and healing needed to liberate and reclaim our own humanity as we free ourselves from this yoke of internalized oppression.  

  In pain and in grief, we stand in solidarity with the Black community and all our relations ready to do our part in the difficult work of systemic transformation toward a truly just and loving world, a world where Black lives will always matter and be held as precious by everyone. 

  To accomplish the work of systemic transformation, the De Anza Latinx Association calls for the Foothill-De Anza Community College District to strengthen the equity commitment and direct the colleges to engage in humanizing education and anti-racism education institutionally, in curriculum and in services. Specifically we ask that the board supports De Anza College to fully fund the Umoja program including a full-time tenure-track Coordinator/Counselor position.

  In Solidarity,
  De Anza Latinx Association

  A version of this statement was read aloud at the June 2 district Board of Trustees meeting by Veronica Acevedo Avila and Edmundo Norte on behalf of DALA. 

• Foothill-De Anza Police Officers' Association 

  The members of the Foothill-De  Anza College Police Officers Association have all watched in horror the video recorded murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis Police Officer. Seeing his fellow Minneapolis Officers stand by and watch for several minutes as George Floyd's last moments on earth are spent gasping for air is utterly unexplainable. The failure to act as a police officer is a crime in itself. To this fact, the world has witnessed the public lynching of George Floyd at the hands of 4 police officers. There are no words that can justify or explain the actions of these officers. They have been arrested and charged for this crime. Let justice be served.

  Our nation is now hearing from George Floyd when you speak for him and others who have suffered a similar fate at the hands of police. As Police Officers, we are listening to your voices.

  The Foothill-De Anza Police Officers Association condemns systemic racism, acts of police brutality, racial profiling, and the use of excessive and militarized force throughout the country and it's potential in the California Community College System.

  When Chief Acosta was appointed as Chief in 2018, he reviewed our police department's use of force policy and removed the use of the carotid neck restraint, before this tragedy even occurred. Chief Acosta also had our Police Officers sit down with leaders within our Foothill-De Anza Community for principled policing training for procedural justice and implicit bias, with Dean of lntercultural/lnternational Studies Edmundo Notre, Dean of EOPS Michele LeBleu Burns, and Academic Program Coordinator for the Office of Equity and Social Justice, Tony Santa Ana.

  We as Police Officers are here to serve you the Foothill De Anza Community. I have recently listened to members of this community discuss racism challenges on our campuses. I heard from a staff member who struggles to support our black student community with academic success. Her extraordinary efforts are being oppressed not by just the police but other members of our community.

  She is struggling in her mission to serve the black student community by giving them support for things most of us take for granted. Our community is hurting and now is the time for our community to work together to shine a light on the ugliness of racism and find new ways to support our black student community to achieve academic and life success.

  As someone who is privileged to serve you and your community for the past 25 years, please consider this. We are part of your community and we are deeply invested in the safety of this community. At any given time our police department  has one police officer on duty at each of three campuses. Our police department relies on it's campus community of Faculty, Administrators, Staff and Students whom we work with to be problem solvers and community caretakers. We are trained in mental health crisis response, de-escalation practices and conflict resolution. We are also first responders to emergencies on campus such as medical events, traffic accidents, natural disasters and the ever present threat of an active assailant attack on our community. We as officers have a passion for working in this community. We want to keep it safe for our black student community that is seeking an education  or vocational skill.  We are angered by the tragic death of George Floyd.  I would hope that we would all take the time now to  think and act on the wisdom of the ages "In everything, do to others what you would want them to do to you."

  The statement above was released on June 8 by Leif Nelson, president of the Foothill De Anza Community College District Police Officers' Association

• De Anza College Academic Senate

  The De Anza Academic Senate Executive Committee (noting that the De Anza Academic Senate includes ALL full-time and part-time De Anza faculty employed by the Foothill De Anza Community College District), publicly announces this statement of solidarity with Black Lives Matter (BLM) and the people who are part of this multiracial, multiethnic worldwide movement.

  This movement addresses inequities faced by many segments of our college community, and our broader society. We also note that the BLM movement also includes activists who ARE our students.

  Unquestionably, the outrageous murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 unleashed a torrent of longstanding frustrations and anger within American society, and throughout the world. The numerous unjustifiable deaths of other Black people, and other People of Color at the hands of municipal and state-funded law enforcement officers must cease.

  The De Anza Academic Senate Executive Committee acknowledges the existence of social inequities that have their genesis in various forms of institutional racism. We affirm our awareness that Black and Brown and Indigenous people are also burdened with bearing the brunt of economic hardships, illnesses, and deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic.

  The De Anza Academic Senate Executive Committee acknowledges the collective pain and difficulties that our students and other members of our collective college and worldwide communities are facing.

  The De Anza Academic Senate Executive Committee stands in solidarity and support with our students, staff, and faculty who are suffering physically, mentally, and emotionally as a result of this social strife and upheaval that has accelerated in Spring 2020. We also stand in solidarity with our students, staff, and faculty who are activists in the Black Lives Matter movement.

  Accordingly, the De Anza Academic Senate Executive Committee solidly supports the goals and objectives of the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement; and with our Black Staff and Faculty Association (BFSA) and their demands for:

  1. A Full-time Tenure-track Umoja Counselor
  2. Support and visibility for our Black students/a safe physical space for our Black students
  3. An Official Black Student Union (BSU)
  4. The establishment of budgetary support for all programs directly affecting Black students
  5. Securing Dr. Joy DeGruy as an Opening Day speaker
  6. Recruitment of Black students, staff, and faculty
  7. Increased opportunity for Black staff professional growth and advancement
  8. Support and maintenance of established Black studies courses

  In Solidarity,
  De Anza College Academic Senate Executive Committee

  The statement above was adopted unanimously by the Academic Senate on June 15.

More Resources for Reading and Learning

Titus Kaphar, a De Anza alum and 2018 MacArthur fellow known for exploring issues of race and equity in art, created the painting at right for the June 15, 2020 cover of TIME magazine. He also contributed a written piece about his thoughts on being Black in America. 

• ASCCC Senate Rostrum – Black faculty members from around the state their thoughts and experiences in this special issue of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges' quarterly publication 
• Anti-Racism Resources – list of links and resources compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein
• Anti-Racist Reading List – a syllabus compiled by Ibram X. Kendi, especially for people beginning their anti-racist journey
• Between the World and Me – a personal exploration of America's racial history, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Black Lives Matter At School – resources from the National Education Association’s EdJustice initiative
• De Anza Honors Newsletter – list of films, books, podcasts and organizations compiled by members of the De Anza College Honors Program
• Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Reading List – reading suggestions from Layla F. Saad 
• For Our White Friends Desiring To Be Allies – suggestions for those who are wondering, “How can I be a stronger ally?” by Courtney Ariel 
• From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation – a book that ties the struggle against police violence to broader effort against structural inequality, by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
• How To Be an Anti-Racist – a book that's both a memoir and an examination of ways to build a just society, by Ibram X. Kendi
• Invisible No More – a book about police violence against Black women and women of color, by Andrea J. Ritchie
• Let America Be Born Again – poem by Langston Hughes
• Me and White Supremacy – a book that guides readers in an exploration of white privilege and even unconscious participation in white supremacy, by Layla F. Saad
• The New Jim Crow – an influential book that examines how Black Americans are treated in the criminal justice system, by Michelle Alexander
• Racial Equity Tools – a list of books, articles, videos and films, compiled by Sally Leiderman, Maggie Potapchuk and Shakti Butler
• Racial Equity and Social Justice – articles, organizations, websites, films and more resources compiled by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation 
• Radical Math – for educators interested in integrating issues of social and economic justice into math curriculum
• 1619 Project – interactive journalism by the New York Times, exploring the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans 
• So You Want to Talk About Race – a book on racism and how to talk about it, by Ijeoma Oluo
• Teaching for Black Lives – a handbook for educators, students and families, edited by Dyan Watson, Jesse Hagopian and Wayne Au
• 26 Ways To Be In the Struggle Beyond the Streets – a printable list of ways to work for justice
• White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism – a book exploring racial assumptions and reactions, and how to confront them, by Robin DiAngelo

Information About Previous Events

• Workshops, Panels and Other Activities

  April 26-30: Black Student Success Week 

  This weeklong webinar series examined ways to improve Black student success in community colleges. Sponsors include the Community College League of California, A2MEND, the RP Group, Umoja Community and other leading education and equity groups. For information contact cablackstudentsuccess@gmail.com 

  • Monday, April 26 (Noon–1 p.m.): Follow the Money – Unapologetically Supporting Black Students
  • Tuesday, April 27 (Noon–1 p.m.): The ADT Journey for African American Students
  • Wednesday, April 28 (Noon–1 p.m.): Equity and Black Representation in Higher Education Leadership
  • Thursday, April 29 (Noon–1 p.m.): Legislative Briefing – Actively Advocating for Black Student Success
  • Friday, April 30 (Noon–1 p.m.): The Cost of Freedom – Speaking Up to Diversify Faculty Ranks 

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  April 16: Districtwide Professional Development Day

  Author and educator Joy DeGruy returned for the third in a series of online conversations about the effects of institutional racism, discrimination and marginalization – and steps we can take within the Foothill-De Anza district to create a more equitable learning and work environment. Additional activities includedtraining in empathetic interviewing, self-directed study and affinity group meetings.

  • This event was open to faculty members, classified professionals and administrators across the Foothill-De Anza district.

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  April 10: Stop Asian Hate Rally in Cupertino

  • Rally outside Cupertino City Hall, 10300 Torre Ave., Cupertino
  • See photos from the event

   

  De Anza President Lloyd A. Holmes and other college leaders joined his event, organized by Asian Americans for Better Community. 

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  April 6: Then and Now – The History of Anti-Asian Racism in the U.S.

  This online forum was moderated by Chesa Caparas, faculty coordinator for the Jean Miller Resource Room and Jodi Wong, student and former editor of La Voz, with a panel including

  • Robert Handa, De Anza alum, NBC Bay Area reporter and host of Asian Pacific America
  • Mae Lee, Chair, Asian American and Asian Studies
  • Jim Nguyen, Instructor, Political Science

   

  Co-sponsors include the Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education; the Asian American and Asian Studies Department; and the Asian Pacific American Staff Association.

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  March 27: Saratoga Rally Against Anti-Asian Racism

  • See photos from the event

   

  De Anza College representatives took a stand against anti-Asian racism during a rally in Saratoga on March 27, joining a host of area residents and community leaders in condemning discrimination and hate crimes.

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  March 25: Athletics Town Hall on Anti-Asian Violence

  The De Anza and Foothill athletic departments united for an online town hall for student-athletes, coaches and staff to discuss recent events affecting the AAPI community. The event featured moderator Dawn Lee Tu, student-athlete panelists from both campuses, Foothill basketball coach Anna Harp, De Anza political science instructor Jim Nguyen, and members of the De Anza Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Many powerful stories from personal experiences added to an educational and insightful two hours together in districtwide solidarity. The event was coordinated by campus deans Eric Mendoza and Debbie Lee.

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  March 23: I Am Not the Virus. Racism Is

  Join a conversation with Oscar Peñaranda – an author, educator and community leader who is dedicated to fighting for ethnic studies and his communities. 

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  March 18: Courageous Leadership – CCCCO Webinar

  Leader and students from Foothill College spoke about efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion during this webinar hosted by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. 

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  Equity Certification 2.0 for Classified Professionals

  Classified Professional Equity Certification 2.0 is a five-session certification offered by the Office of Professional Development for classified professionals who want to deepen their work creating an equitable and inclusive campus environment. 

  • Thursday, Feb. 18, 9:30-11 a.m. – Cultural Humility as a Pathway to Equity
  • Thursday, Feb. 25, 9:30-11 a.m. – Leadership Development and Racial Equity Tools
  • Thursday, March 4, 9:30-11 a.m. – Organizational Transformation for Equity
  • Thursday, March 11, 9:30-11 a.m. – Environmental and Cultural Awareness
  • Thursday, March 18, 9:30-11 a.m. – Equity Journey Continued

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  Celebrating Black Student Achievement – CCCCO Webinar

  • Wednesday, Feb. 24, 9–10:30 a.m.
  • The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office hosted this webinar to highlight systemwide efforts to advance racial equity, dismantle structural barriers and eliminate opportunity gaps for disproportionately impacted students.
  • Speakers discussed partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, inclusive classroom environments and anti-racism curriculum, and recommendations for improving Black and African American student outcomes.

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  Professional Development Day with Dr. Joy DeGruy

  • Friday, Feb. 19, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
  • Dr. Joy DeGruy led a morning seminar on culturally specific models of service delivery and practice, followed in the afternoon by workshops and discussions about ways to create a welcoming and equitable environment for students and employees. 
  • This daylong event was open to faculty members, classified professionals and administrators across the Foothill-De Anza college district.

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  Developing Relational Anti-Racist Classroom Practices

  • Friday, Feb. 5, 1-2:30 p.m.
  • Alexs Pate, best-selling author and creator of the "Innocent Classroom," will talk about his personal journey toward innocence, a reality free of the negative impact of racial stereotypes, and how that led him to write his new book, "The Innocent Classroom: Dismantling Racial Bias to Support Students of Color."
  • Contact the Office of Professional Development for details.

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  W.E.B. Du Bois: Lessons for His Future, Our Present

  • Tuesday, Nov. 10: 10 a.m.-Noon
  • W.E.B. Du Bois was a 20th-century civil rights leader, educator, historian, author and poet. UC Santa Cruz professor Eric Porter will talk about Du Bois’ work and his influence on today’s Black Lives Matter movement. This event is sponsored by Latinx Empowerment at De Anza (LEAD) as part of the college's Arts and Activism series.  

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  Is Virtual Learning Creating New Equity Gaps in Student Engagement?

  • Wednesday, Oct. 14: 10 a.m.
  • The Foothill-De Anza district partnered with Invoke Learning to better understand the engagement patterns of students engaged in virtual learning and discovered surprising results relating to a disproportionate impact for specific student communities.

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  Reform or Dismantle? Beyond Diagnosing Racism

  • Saturday, Sept. 26: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
  • Hear from Cornel West, Joy DeGruy and Michael Eric Dyson during this online discussion of solutions ranging from reforming existing policies and procedures to dismantling and reimagining a more just system.

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  Foothill-De Anza District Opening Day

  • Thursday, Sept. 17
  • Faculty, staff and administrators joined colleagues across both campuses for a thought-provoking event featuring Joy DeGruy, a nationally known researcher and educator on issues of equity and racial Justice. 
  • Visit the district's Opening Day website for more information

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  Nurturing an Anti-Racist Campus Culture

  • Webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 19
  • Community college leaders from around the state will discuss structural changes, tools and dialogue that campuses must prioritize to nurture an anti-racist campus culture. This event is hosted by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office.

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  Black Minds Matter

  • Webinar series on July 16, 23 and 30, Aug. 6 and 13
  • J. Luke Wood and Donna Y. Ford will lead this five-part webinar series on issues facing Black students, by drawing parallels between the policing of Black lives and schooling of Black minds. This series is sponsored by the Center for Organizational Responsibility and Advancement (CORA).

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  Anti-Racism: A Dialogue on the History of Anti-Black Racism and Its Impact

  • This Aug. 1 online discussion, sponsored by A2MEND, featured authors Ibram Kendi, Marc Lamont Hill and Tim Wise. Tickets were made available through the Office of Professional Development 

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  Forum for Black Student-Athletes and Coaches

  • The De Anza College Athletic Department hosted its second forum in support of its African American Ancestry/Black Community. Student-athletes and coaches took part in a July 7 online discussion featuring Glynn Wallis (De Anza College EOPS Counselor) and Steve Kinney (De Anza College mentor, 100 Black Men of America, former NFL player). Student and coaches were able to engage in important dialogue to address hidden biases and blind spots in the department and on campus.

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  Revisiting the Characteristics of Systemic Racism

  • Faculty members in the Social Sciences and Humanities Division took part in an online forum on June 25, discussing ways to address systemic racism with Judge Shelyna V. Brown of the Santa Clara County Superior Court and Elvin Ramos, dean of Social Sciences and Humanities. 

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  Addressing Anti-Blackness on Campus

  • This June 24 webinar focused on strategies for addressing racism in schools, colleges and universities. Speakers included Frank Harris III, Lasana Hotep, Regina Stanback Stroud and J. Luke Wood. Sponsors included the American College Personnel Association, Equity Institute and CORA.

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  Black Graduation Celebration

  • This June 19 event celebrated the accomplishments of Black students who are graduating from De Anza. 

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  Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?

  • Administration of Justice students and faculty in the Social Sciences and Humanities Division took part in a June 16 online forum on cooperation and community alliances, featuring John Brown Childs, prison educator and distinguished emeritus professor of social sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The event was hosted by Elvin Ramos, dean of Social Sciences and Humanities, and Karina Castillo, instructor in Administration of Justice.

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  Intersections of Anti-Blackness and Anti-Asian Harassment

  • Sherry C. Wang, associate professor of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University, led a June 11 discussion on processing and confronting anti-Blackness in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The event was organized by the Office of Equity, Asian and Asian American Studies (ASAM), Asian Pacific American Staff and Faculty Association (APASA) and the Office of Professional Development. 

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  Black Students Open Forum

  • The Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Network (BFSA) organized this June 10 online forum for Black students to come together and safely discuss feelings, concerns or fears.

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  Do Now: The Importance of Our Vulnerability 

  • Social Sciences and Humanities Dean Elvin Ramos hosted a June 8 faculty discussion with Albert Pearsall III, professor at the University of the District of Columbia, on addressing equity gaps, structural racism and the importance of vulnerability in the classroom.

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  Forum for Student-Athletes

  • Student-athletes took part in a June 4 online discussion with Frank Ortega, African-American Studies lecturer at San José State University; Michele LeBleu-Burns, dean of Student Development and EOPS; and Melinda Hughes, faculty assistant director of EOPS; with support from William Firmender, Derrick Felton and Kristiana Guan of De Anza Psychological Services; Louise Madrigal, Athletics counselor; Dawn Lee Tu, faculty director of the Office of Professional Development; and Eric Mendoza, dean of Physical Education and Athletics. 

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  Call to Action for California Community Colleges

  • In this June 3 video roundtable, state Chancellor Eloy Oakley and college leaders from around California discussed ways the community college system can address structural racism and ensure equal access to education.  

  Watch the recorded session

• Juneteenth Information

  • #HellaJuneteenth – a Bay Area collective's guide to Juneteenth resources
  • A Celebration of Resistance – Juneteenth celebration by the National Museum of African American History and Culture
  • 12 Things You Might Not Know About Juneteenth – by Stacy Conradt
  • What is Juneteenth? – article by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

• Black History Month

  February is Black History Month. You'll find a list of 2021 activities on the Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators (BFSA) events webpage.