Overview
In November 2020 and April 2021, two groups of Emerson students shared once again the struggles and conflict they have experienced in the College community. The #ESOCWeekofAction in November 2020 was led by BIPOC-identifying students on our campus and included a mission statement and an organized list of demands. In April 2021, the Access: Student Disability Union shared a similar letter to College leaders and a suggested action plan for disability equity. These issues, and others that impact individuals and communities who have been historically and systemically marginalized, are not new, and we are sorry that students were yet again put in the position of having to organize to make their experiences known.
Core to this work is an understanding of the ways systems and structures impact individuals and communities disproportionately, and the complexity of this impact on intersectional identities. Emerson students have asked the College to take an intersectional approach to the work of Community Equity, acknowledging the overlapping and interconnected nature of identities across our Community.
In solidarity with students, this website features updates, plans, and progress on areas of focus drawn from the #ESOCWeekOfAction List of Demands and Access Advocacy Project’s Action Plan for Disability Equity. The College is working to progress Community Equity through an intersectional lens, while providing goals and updates for areas that require more identity-specific action items.