When Annette Collins, president of the Black Student Association (BSA), went to work a few weeks ago, President Donald Trump had just signed a new executive order barring refugees and citizens of seven Muslim countries from entering the United States. After witnessing how the order affected students on campus, Collins and her fellow BSA members decided to host an event that would allow students to take action.
“I work at the Student Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and when I got to work, many of my co-workers were upset and in fear of being deported or having their visas revoked,” Collins said. “[For the BSA, this meant] having a conversation about social injustice and giving marginalized communities within our community a voice.”
These conversations prompted Day of Action. The University of Houston-Clear Lake BSA invites all students, faculty and staff to take part in Day of Action, which will take place Feb. 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Bayou Building, room 1435.
The event will provide an opportunity, for all who are interested, to come together in an open forum to discuss post-election topics, such as the travel ban and offering students, faculty and staff a safe venue to voice any worries they may have concerning the changes under the new administration. The event will also provide an opportunity for people to gather and discuss ideas of how they can collectively take action.
“The Black Student Association held two discussion sessions last semester so that students would be able to share their experiences,” said Andrea Baldwin, lecturer of communication and co-faculty advisor to the BSA. “During those discussions, we marked that many students wanted to ‘do something’ or rather to have agency over their safety and care of themselves and other students on campus.”
Baldwin said the event aims to provide sanction to those who desire a safe space to voice their concerns. As a result, the BSA hopes this event will “inspire solidarity and unity” on our campus and within the UHCL community.
“People who attend the event will be broken up into groups with other attendees to discuss, plan and organize ideas with the intention of putting them to action,” Baldwin said.
For those who are interested in attending Day of Action but are unable to participate, or for those who are interested in pursuing civic engagement in the community, there are other ways to participate in political change. One such way is through a service called Daily Action.
Houston native, author and activist Laura Moser created Daily Action as a way to promote civic engagement within communities, in an effort to “resist extremism in America.” Moser felt that people needed an opportunity to take action that was quick yet effective. Daily Action sends a text message with an urgent issue based on where the user lives. The user listens to a short recording as to why the issue is considered urgent and then the user is directed to a relevant local official.
“I think the Day of Action is a wonderful idea – encouraging students to become more engaged in the world around them during this unprecedented moment in U.S. history could have extremely positive long-term consequences,” Moser said. “Perhaps some of the participants will even be inspired to become the activists of tomorrow!”
The hope is that Day of Action will develop into a continuation of events and activities for UHCL, prompting students to understand the importance of civic engagement beyond campus and into their communities. One course on campus that provides students the opportunity to engage in a discussion of civic engagement combined with a core curriculum course is the Learning Frameworks, part of the First-Year Experience at UHCL.
“The focus of ‘Learning Frameworks’ is citizenship because the responsibilities concomitant with that role compel active engagement,” said Wanalee Romero, director of the First-Year Experience program.
Anne Gessler, lecturer of humanities who teaches the first-year experience courses, discussed her views on Day of Action and the importance for students to become civically engaged.
“UHCL’s Day of Action presents an excellent opportunity for productive dialogue across the university campus about issues of local and national concern,” Gessler said. “I am particularly excited by the organizers’ commitment to translating discussion into action, as participants brainstorm ways to become civically engaged on campus and within the Houston community.”
For Collins, this event is important because it will bring the UHCL community together.
“We just feel as though UHCL is our little bubble, but the bubble has been burst,” Collins said. “As a community, we should be an ally to them and speak for them.”