0
2
Symbols
Legend
The deck of cards you are holding is the outcome of an extraordinary collective intelligence gathered from many people who have shared themselves in our research process, and in the public events organized by team members of PARR (Promotion des Actrices Racisées en Recherche). The recurring themes represented throughout the deck emerged from Black and racialized women and non-binary folk who work in collaborative research, expressing their needs. These individuals, as well as many others who participated, have contributed to the project and have defined individual and collective strategies, have shared their testimonials and have recommended exercises along with some words of wisdom. We share all of these with you now, with the hope that this deck of cards can offer some comfort, reinforce your strength, and give you more tools for self-defense. Use this deck as you see fit, according to your needs and wishes.
- Creating Solidarity Support for Yourselves
- Listening to Your Health and Well-being
- Cultivating Confidence and Joy
- Investing in Self-Marketing
- Reversing Tokenism Practices
- Aiming for Funding and Sustainability for Your Projects
- Ethical Research Practices and The By/For/With Approach
Oppression isolates everyone. For all sorts of valid reasons, it can be difficult to speak out against dis-crimination. Even calling yourself a victim can be uncom-fortable for some people. Yet, history shows us that many struggles and battles have been won when victims have decided to collectivize their experiences and organize together for their rights.
Connecting with like-minded people enables us to com-pare experiences and overcome shame; it also helps in sharing advice and strategies of resistance. These support networks are invaluable, and we need to know how to create, join, and cultivate them.
Being together and nurturing relationships based on care for one another allows us to distance ourselves from some of the academic and societal referents. This helps main-tain a critical stance towards them, knowing that we are supported and understood.
Sharing testimonials is an opportunity for self-care and survival, and it is integral to the mechanisms of individual and collective resistance for Black and racialized researchers. Spaces that nurture discussion and reflection allow people to create community and develop ways to deal with issues and challenges they may have in common.
Although we may find someone’s experience similar to our own, we must not forget the diversity of experiences that can coexist. We need to know how to welcome them in a spirit of listening, respect and benevolence. Resist the urge to give advice, unless the person asks for it. Validate the person’s needs with them after they have just shared with you. "What do you need now?" is a simple sentence that can help us avoid mishaps and awkwardness.
The time has come to imagine our future together. What are our aspirations? How can we get there together? What are the means we have to help reach our shared goal? Would our decisions be better, if we started together from that collective vision? Aren’t the best solutions shaped from a place of utopia and trust?
We are weaker if we don't stand together. Let's learn to create joint projects by sharing leadership roles along with their merits. Be transparent with each other by sharing information about wages and by warning your peers about unhealthy work environments. Don’t hesitate to share your knowledge, to quote each other in your articles, and to cite each other at speaking engagements.
By using creative practices (i.e. drawing, collage, poetry, writing, social theater), some things are easier to articulate and people can feel more comfortable sharing their experiences and/or emotions in this way. We can allow ourselves to step outside the academic framework and find other, less formal ways, and mediums to express ourselves. Dare to do things differently, in different spaces, to allow a greater diversity of people, knowledge and experience to reveal themselves and unfold in these spaces of interaction and sharing.
I’m lucky enough to have a network of people with whom I’ve developed ties that are not specifically related to research, but happen to do research. But I think it would have been really helpful to have some sort of network of racialized women researchers who understand what [...] intersectionality is. […] As a young Black researcher in a francophone or anglophone environment, whichever, how do I navigate through [all these obstacles]? You know, I think there’s a lot to discuss and a lot to unpack, and it would have been great to have been able to say: “Well, I’m stuck here. I know there’s such-and-such a group. I’m going to write to them and say: How do you handle this situation? Have you ever been through this? Then what do you suggest? What have you done that has worked, and what should I avoid at all costs?”
Chloe - PARR report
The Barbican is a prestigious London cultural center. In recent years, several current and former staff have come together to highlight the discrimination and racism experienced within the organization. By sharing their experiences collectively, and compiling them into a book available online without charge, Barbican Stories, Everything You Need to Know about the Barbican, these individuals took their power back and exerted enough pressure on the establishment to force them into taking responsible action.
Following the investigation launched after the book's publication, the Barbican embarked on a radical process of change. New recruitment strategies, anti-racism training and confidentiality mechanisms for complaints were implemented. This story is inspiring as it shows the power of organizing collective resistance, and it exposes the consequences of systemic discrimination specific to the cultural milieu.
Further information: www.barbicanstories.com
We no longer need to prove the real consequences of oppression and how the struggle against oppression affects people’s mental and physical health. Coming into the world and existing in a society as a minority person who feels the tug of the struggle to find one's place and prove one's worth, our legitimacy to exist and express oneself can lead to utter exhaustion, anxiety and burn-out. Knowing how to prioritize, learning to withdraw from an environment or retreat from a situation, and rethinking how work operates in your life are ways we can avoid these problems.
Is every debate a good one? Not if the individuals you are debating with are not listening and not coming from a place of openness and humility. If you are faced with a closed-minded person or someone who wants to play devil's advocate (does the devil really need an advocate?), you will automatically lose. You'll have wasted your time and energy on someone who isn't looking to move forward. Always remember that you don't owe anyone an explanation, justification or educational training. You have the right to withdraw yourself if you feel the exchange isn’t fruitful.
Your energy is not infinitely renewable. It can be useful to take a step back and think about where you want to invest your energy. Is your role to transform a predominantly white institution where you are employed? Could some of this energy be better spent elsewhere, in your own community for example? Should or could emotionally-charged tasks be taken on by your colleagues from the dominant groups? You are the only person capable of answering these questions. There are no right or wrong answers, but you need to give yourself permission to explore other options and make assertive choices according to how you feel and what you need.
When we are working on topics that affect us personally, or subjects less explored historically, it takes more time and more energy. Is it realistic for us to conform to the dominant group's pace and performance model? Rather, it is crucial to try and detach oneself from them, and revisit the concept of excellence through our own perspective. In order to nourish these reflections and to further deconstruct this paradigm, it can be useful to indulge in slower practices that force us to adopt a different rhythm and temporality: taking the time to stretch, enjoying a walk without distraction, taking naps, gardening, and so on.
Do you know who you can call on when you need them, who will listen and support you without judgment? You have every right to want to surround yourself with people who will be there unconditionally and with whom you can share your vulnerabilities and emotions. Yet, it can also be important to equip your inner circle with the tools to help you, like naming the potential signs that show your declining well-being, and identifying helpful tips to deal with these situations. It's important to have several people whom you can rely on, so as not to put all the burden on a single individual. It's also important to take the time and space to nurture these relationships, outside of asking them for help.
Strategies imagined by Marie Dasylva
There are many different strategies for protecting yourself in a potentially hostile environment. For example, this can be done through clothing: by arriving somewhere in flamboyant clothes you assert your presence and accentuate your visibility; it can also be done through a physical attitude by adopting an upright and proud posture, or through speech, by controlling your voice and giving it strength and substance. Self-defense can also mean responding and verbalizing what you disagree with, or walking away when it's too harsh, hurtful or when you no longer feel respected. Preserve yourself as much as possible in all situations.
Be ambitious and dream big if that's what you like. But don't forget to factor your own psychological well-being into your calculations. Get into the habit of taking this variable into account before accepting a new opportunity. Take stock of your resources, of what's being asked of you, of what you'll have to sacrifice before you accept a proposal. Respect your limits, respect your needs and desires, and detach yourself from the idea that you'll be missing out on something by choosing yourself.
Hostile environments force us to be on the lookout, ready to react and defend ourselves at all times. In a space made for and by us, we can let go and feel supported. We hold space all the time. We hold space for our clients, our community, our children, for our youth. We are entitled to that kind of support as well.
I start with the assumption that walking through this world, in our bodies, is a full-time job. [...] In any case, I’m talking as a Black woman, just to leave my house, moving from point A to point B, I know that I can be attacked in a thousand and one ways, subtle things, and not so subtle things. So that’s my daily life. As such, if I choose to get involved in something, I can’t get involved in something that’s going to increase that pressure
Chloé - PARR report
Strategies imagined by Marie Dasylva
The more you say no to things that don't suit you, the more room you make for things that do. If you are asked to take on additional responsibilities at work, send in your work plan and ask that person how their request could fit in without disrupting your mandates and responsibilities. Always keep in mind that your own resources (time, energy, etc.) are not infinite, and as long as you don't set limits, people will continue to do as they will.
Strategies imagined by Marie Dasylva
Being careful to not offend or hurt the white dominant fragility is a heavy burden to carry. What if we give up on the idea of being appreciated by everyone? It may not always be possible. In some contexts and spaces, the cost is too high.
A participant in a workshop organized as part of the PARR Forum (on April 15th) had this to say about their experience of being asked their opinion regarding an issue that directly concerns us: " It's 2023, all the words have been said. Access to these words is free. [By asking us about these issues] our time is being used up and we are not getting paid, [and] our experiential knowledge and emotions are being mobilized as well. [There is]something pornographic about their questions - [it is] dominant porn - in other words, we are being consumed rather than listening to your opinion. [Sort out] who to converse with, [and ask yourself about your interlocutor: Do you want to consume me, or do you really want to understand? "
Strategies imagined by Marie Dasylva
A job, a regular salary and decent working conditions can bring us stability. But are we really stable if our professional environment stifles our capacity for action, weakens our self-esteem and our desire to project ourselves? What are we mortgaging for this so-called stability?
When someone wants to give you new tasks that don't fit into your mandate, remember that some things are not transferable and shouldn't be sent your way. Be careful not to give in to compliments, which are often a good way of getting you to bend: "oh you're so good, you would be the best person to do XY".
Biases based on race, gender and professional status can silence our expertise and invisibilize our scientific contribution. Language barriers, language levels, and accent bias’, limit people's participation in the construction of knowledge and sideline their knowledge. These mechanisms reinforce the imposter syndrome and make us more vulnerable to our instrumentalization.
These environments are not built for us and they aim to use our production and operational forces without recognizing our labor and contributions.
It can be useful to create our own performance standards that don't provoke failure and are attainable.
Considering the resources at your disposal, what is possible?
What rules are you willing to accept?
Who will you accept criticism from?
The pressure to perform is very strong when we are not allowed to be mediocre or to make mistakes. Yet, failure is inescapable; we will encounter it along the way. How can we see it as a milestone on your journey, as a normal event rather than a confirmation of our incapacity? Failure can be a learning opportunity and sometimes, failure is just that...a failure, and that's okay. It shouldn't shake your self-esteem.
We can't do everything alone.
We need others. Let's have the humility to recognize it, and know how to ask for help when it's needed and reciprocate when we can.
While care, therapy, spiritual life, and spaces for rejuvenation are often denigrated, mocked or erased from a world focused on performance, profitability and productivity, these activities can be an anchor in the lives of people experiencing oppression.
If it makes you feel good, take the time to cultivate these personal practices. They are legitimate and they are yours.
I have the right to do things that serve no purpose other than to make me feel good.
I have the right to do things that serve no purpose other than to make me feel good.
I have the right to do things that serve no purpose other than to make me feel good.
I have the right to do things that serve no purpose other than to make me feel good.
Who are you when you're not fighting?
Who are you when you don't have to fight for your dignity and recognition?
What drives you when you can put your energy elsewhere?
Who are you beyond the identity you're stuck with, beyond the oppression you suffer?
How can you find your way back to this person and take care of him or her?
Remember that you are not what the outer worldmakes you.
Who are the people you associate excellence with and what have they done to be associated with it? Is their excellence linked to material achievements? Or to the productivity of articles, books or other content with high public recognition value?
The notion of excellence is fundamentally colored by the capitalist system and white supremacy. What if we rethought other ways of manifesting our excellence? We need to do some soul-searching in order to get rid of the dominant norms, codes, and indicators, and start to invent other ways of evaluating ourselves.
There’s always the impostor syndrome. It’s something that’s very present in the academic field. I can’t say that enough, I’ll never say it enough. [...] So, of course, you can do well, but sometimes you get the impression that you’re going to be judged, that it’s like you’re not up to scratch, because universities are an elitist environment, you know.
So, you don’t want to talk about what doesn’t work, because if you do, it means that you can be judged to be not a good researcher. [...] It’s hard when you’re a student, it’s hard to trust yourself, to say: “Yeah, what I’m doing is right,” and then they tell me maybe this isn’t for me, because it’s a lot. We question ourselves a lot, we’re not sure if it’s the right way to do it.
Eva - PARR report
What helped me was that I got out of the racialized box, to stop myself from racialization, to stop myself from fixating on my gender, and to stop racializing others too. I know that’s weird [...]. I’m an intersectional feminist. I’m an African woman. I see racialization everywhere. And when I’m in my environment, it is endless. […] I don’t feel racialized. I’m not racializable. In fact, they don’t have the right to lock me in anymore. […] They no longer have the ability to lock me into my racialization. Does that mean that they don’t see a Black woman? No, no, I know. They see a fat old Black woman. It’s my responsibility to show them that I’m not just that. And what helps me? It’s stripping myself from that, when I’m working, you know. I am me before I’m that thing.
Michelle - PARR report
Words are never innocent.
Pay attention to the words you use, aloud and in your head, when you speak about yourself, how you tell your story and your reality.
For example, say "I got the job" rather than "I was offered the job".
If you're in a position of knowledge, assume it. If you're in research, remember that your position and expertise are based on years of work, study, reading, and personal experience.
Don't let others question your expertise. Moreover, take the time to choose where you want to deploy it. What kind of project do you want to get involved in?
Know your limits and respect them whenever possible.
You work hard, but who reaps the benefits? Do you have mechanisms in place to ensure that your data is protec-ted, that the fruits of your labor are attributed to you?
Is your self-confidence strong enough to recognize your qualities and abilities and prevent others from exploiting them? People from minority groups can be instrumen-talized and exploited, especially in a context as competitive as the academic world: know how to protect yourself from this and learn how to protect your networks
Always keep a copy of your files on your own devices and virtual storage spaces. Don't share your work notes. If you share a version of your work with others, send a lighter version and keep the more robust version for yourself. When you share part of your work with someone, add other people as carbon copies in your email to have witnesses. Footnote your documents with your name, and secure your PPTs to make them available as read-only versions only.
In your desire to prove your skills and worth through a job well done, you may do more than what is expected of you, or more than what is agreed in the mandate. This can become a trap that plays nasty tricks on you later. By imposing very high standards on yourself, or by wanting to satisfy the ego and exceed the expectations associated with the task, you can create expectations on the part of your team members or collaborators that you may not always be able to fulfill. Remember, there's no point in taking too much on in order to prove something. Reread card 31 as needed. Sometimes our desire to do too much is linked to our search for excellence...which must be deconstructed.
While pretension can be a ugly flaw, being too modest can also do great harm. You can and should be proud of what you have accomplished. If you don't claim the fruits of your labor, others will do it at your expense. Have a website or platform to showcase your expertise. Publicize and promote the workshops you have designed, the conferences you participate in, the publications you write or contribute in, or in which you have been mentioned, and any other project you have developed. Proudly claim your achievements and avoid invisibilizing your work. If you don't want to make a public showcase (website, or other site), you can create a special folder on the desktop of your computer in which your achievements are listed. This will help to fully internalize your achievements, accept them, and be proud of them.
It is becoming essential to make formal agreements that protect our knowledge, our work, our name, and our expertise. It may be a good idea to put the terms of ownership in writing (relating to the production of the work, and its subsequent dissemination) in order to ensure that your rights are respected. If you need it, don't hesitate to ask a professional to accompany you through the process.
Furthermore, collective agreements could be developed among a coalition of professionals, for example, to formalize agreements between researchers and those mandating them. Numerous inspiring examples from other milieus exist (i.e. consent agreements in the BDSM milieu, knowledge sharing from a give-give perspective in BIPOC climate justice settings), and they could provide food for thought around these future agreements.
Building community across safe and racialized networks, in the logic of "by and for" enables us to collectively equip ourselves to develop strategies, to deal with situations and challenges that are common to people within the research community.
Let's create solidarities among different racialized groups as well, and converge our respective agendas while keeping communications channels open to amplify our alliances and resistances.
[A]t some point, we were talking about [...] authorship, which is really, looking at what order we put our names for a publication. And the main researcher […] put the name in order, then […] my name was last and it took two of my colleagues to say that I had in fact been the one to work on this article. So, I think there’s something to be changed there, and that made me laugh because I’d let plenty of other opportunities like that go by. But it had to be something so visual for the others to react and they said: “No, no no, but she’s the one who worked on it”.
Chloé - PARR report
Sometimes I’d think to myself: “Do they think I’m like the administrative assistant?” Often, people would look at me when it came to setting a date in the calendar. They’d look at me at times when we were talking about things that were really down-to-earth, basic. Like “When’s the next committee meeting?”
Then, I’d write it down and that’s when people would look to me, but not as someone who can contribute ideas, research directions, orientations, and bring analysis that could inform the methodology. Then there was always that look of surprise when I said something that everyone else thought was relevant like.: “Oh like, it’s like, wow! Where did that come from? It’s unexpected. We didn’t think she could say something like that!”.
Romy - PARR report
Protect your work! Here are some useful questions to ask yourself:
Crediting: Who is cited as the main author? Am I properly cited? In what order are the authors cited? Was there any conversation, exchange or agreement about credits?
Future use of your work: How will your work be used? How will it be distributed? On what platforms? In what context? Will you receive royalties from this distribution? Will you need to give permission for future use of your work?
Access to your work: If you leave or are dismissed from the job where you developed content, what conditions did you agree upon? Do you retain the rights to what you've produced? Can you use this content outside of that setting?
Strategies imagined by Marie Dasylva
Did you find out that someone has been appropriating your work, your ideas or your arguments? Here are three options to help you protect your intellectual property:
Is someone taking ownership of your idea or project during a meeting? Challenge that person, ask them precise and complex questions about the content of the project, that they probably won't be able to answer; when they seem rattled and don't know what to say, take over.
Strategies imagined by Marie Dasylva
If someone translated your work without giving you credit and presents it in a team meeting, take the floor to say, "Thank you for translating my document; if anyone has any questions about the technicalities, come and see me, and I'll share the methodology."
On social networks, where people can take your arguments and use them as their own, you can say: "I'm really happy to inspire you on a daily basis. When I see how I influence your way of thinking, I feel like I'm on the right path!"
When you are in a position where you have to negotiate a salary or wage, ask a white friend and/or colleague how much they would ask for.
If you are in an academic setting where you have less leverage to negotiate your salary, you can negotiate power and representation instead: you may present your work and preserve the intellectual property. Make sure there's no disparity between your workload and that of others with equal pay.
The structures that recruit us know our insecurities and know that we have been socialized to work four times as hard. Don't let them use this to your disadvantage.
Tokenism has infiltrated all spaces, particularly those where there is a high under-representation of racial minorities, like academia. Using the name of a racialized person to canvass people from their community, putting the onus of educating colleagues on racial issues on the person, using their image to project a diverse vision of the organization are all practices that are part of an extractivist logic which shamelessly draws on the knowledge and networks of marginalized people. Let's recognize these practices so we can bypass them!
Rather than providing names of people in your network at the request of a colleague, an employer, etc., ask for their contact information to then pass it along to your network, to scan for a potential interest in the mandate/collaboration/job offer in question.
Some organizations mistake your presence in their space as an indication of its inclusiveness, when the reality can be quite different. Being identified in a photo, on a website, and/or on social networks can also give our network or other racialized people the false idea that it is a safe space. When you are photographed, ask how the images will be used. Ask to have a follow-up and demand that your permission is required for each new use of the image. Be careful! Sometimes clauses regarding image-use are already in the employment contract. So take the time to carefully read it and make sure you consent from an educated place.
Getting involved in the union if you're in a unionized environment can have major advantages. It often offers better understanding of our rights and how to access them, as well as offering guidance and support in case of disputes. The union can also be an interesting leverage to demand the creation of work policies. Make sure you find out about your union before getting involved, as some workplaces have few or no internal policies and can be violent towards minorities. Sitting on your organization's Board of Directors is another way of making your voice and perspective heard, and potentially having a positive influence on the organization. Before you take any steps
Do you have opportunities for travel, training, professional encounters or other work-related privileges? Take them without remorse or regret: you are committed to your profession, and it is only natural that you should enjoy certain benefits.
It may not be easy to find someone who resembles you and can act as a mentor. Yet, you can greatly benefit from the advice, the strategies, and even the courage they can offer. If you are ever presented with the opportunity to act as one for someone else, don't hesitate, as it is a very rewarding role. If possible, try to get funds to hire your mentor as a consultant to acknowledge their work and expertise as well.
Let's share what we can: well-written policies, sample procedures, contracts, intellectual property agreements and funding opportunities. Let's support each other by passing on contracts, employment offers, and contacts within our networks. If you already have your foot in the door, open the door for others to get in too.
In discussion forums (meetings, panels, etc), marginalized people should support each other in concrete ways: ask questions to allow your counterpart to clarify a point, congratulate the other person on their work or idea, reiterate a point made by someone and give them the credit. It can be useful to go upstream to rally support for an idea or a proposal that you plan on bringing to a meeting.
Quand j'ai appliqué […], ma superviseure m'avait dit qu’elle recherchait pas nécessairement la personne avec beaucoup d'expériences dans la recherche, mais elle voulait quelqu'un qui avait une expérience personnelle avec t’sais, soi en tant que minorité raciale, ethnique ou sexuelle, t’sais pour apporter vraiment comme une contribution personnelle, puis comme mon expérience à cette équipe-là.
Èva - Rapport PARR
I was really excited because it was one of my first work experiences as a researcher, but specifically in economics, which I really love. But somehow when I got the job and I received all the duties that I was supposed to do, the responsibilities, I was really excited to see them, but I was the only person on the team who spoke Spanish. A lot of my hours were me translating things for some reason and it was not part of my job that I had agreed to do. I felt like I didn’t learn as much as my other coworkers because they were more focused on the research project. I was more focused on having to translate stuff, as if I was a translator assistant, I think that’s definitely a challenge.
Léa - PARR report
The Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST)
The CNESST is a Quebec governmental body entrusted with the promotion of labor rights and responsibilities. It ensures that Quebec workers and employers respect the law.
The Human Rights Commission (CDPDJ)
This Commission is a non-governmental independent agency that carries out its mission for the sole benefit of the population and in the public interest. One of its mandates is to ensure the respect and promotion of the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
Center for Research-Action on Race Relations
CRARR is an independent, non-profit organization founded in 1983 in Montreal. Its mandate is to promote racial equality and combat racism in Canada.
In this situation, it may be useful to verify the following:
- What resources will be mobilized to compensate you for your time? Your energy?
- If the additional task requires training, who is responsible for approving said training request?
- How will this additional task be taken into account in your contract?
- Is it clear what you're being asked to do? Do you fully understand the new tasks that you are asked to carry out? What are the expectations regarding them?
Sometimes people who are sitting higher in the hierarchy give those lower down on the ladder their task to perform on a permanent or recurring basis. If this happens to you, take the time to list these tasks to see which ones suit you and which ones you would like to get rid of.
Don’t hesitate to refuse to do your colleagues’ tasks. Sometimes we are given tasks that are similar to those we have, but are for another project. We may also be asked to do more work than we are paid for. For fear of being judged incompetent, we feel compelled to accept this extra responsibility. There is an entire system that is kept in place thanks to this fear.
We don’t need to convince you that funding has a huge impact on your ability to carry out projects and perform your work, and that it dramatically affects the conditions under which you have to do it.
Without having access to the purse strings, do we have any power to reduce the risks of having to work in financial precarity and acute financial exploitation when we are at the intersection of several oppressions? YES! It is time to come together to protect ourselves and think about better ways of funding our projects in the short and long term.
It can be difficult to be assertive when talking about money for all sorts of reasons. But remember that you are not asking anyone for a favor by wanting to be paid fairly for your work. It is not a gift that people are giving you. Be direct when asking for pay, and if you are in a position to do so, demand that others are paid fairly as well.
Do not sell your knowledge and your participation in projects or events short, you could set a bad precedent for you and your community.
Who awards scholarships and grants? Who decides what topic deserves funding or attention? It is time to get organized so that more Black and racialized researchers access positions of power where they have influence over grants and funding. Don’t hesitate to develop your network to position yourself advantageously vis-à-vis philanthropic foundations or influential boards of directors.
Many believe that the lack of human resources allows for people to be abusive and act with complete impunity within the organization. Calling on independent human resources could help deal with various problems in the workplace, and also protect Black and racialized people experiencing conflict or violence. Having to confront a colleague with whom you work with on the same team and who is also responsible for human resources can lead to more violence for people who wish to report abuse.
Consider the creation of partnerships between racialized organizations and Black and racialized researchers for projects that resemble your or your organization. For example, let's create research centers or researchers’ coalitions with a common mission to provide each other with the means and parameters to carry out research projects by/for/with.
It may be useful to rely on your support network when applying for funding, for example by sharing tips on how to write funding requests, or by communicating which funding envelopes are available and applicable.
I think that Black folks and racialized folks need to have access to funding and then build their own structures and have their own projects. […] That’s what needs to change. [We need] to see more racialized women and have programming and funding by [us] and for [us].
Sofia - PARR report
Overcome embarrassment and ask for help! Inform your networks that you are seeking funding, so that they can guide you towards potential opportunities they know about. You can also ask your peers for help in writing scholarship applications or ask someone you trust to proofread your application or share with you an example of an application that was approved in the past.
Knowledge extractivism experienced by Black and racialized people in university and community settings is a phenomenon which makes them vulnerable to precarity, exhaustion, and weakens these communities as much as it maintains the power dynamics in place. This process consists in the exploitation of knowledge of a person or minority community for the benefit or advancement of a dominant person, organization or institution, who often have little or no relationship and network within the community. As a person working in collaborative research, it is crucial to think about ways to not reproduce these dynamics with respect to other minority communities, as well as our own, and to be aware of power dynamics that can exist between different minority communities.
If you are faced with a project that is based in extractivist logic and will not benefit the targeted community, you have the right to refuse to be complicit. Your address book and network are your own, so keep these contacts to yourself if you feel that the project parameters do not include clear benefits for your community. This also means that you do not agree to work on certain subjects, themes, or populations, when there are not enough resources available.
If this is an option and you have considered all negative repercussions, do not hesitate to raise awareness in your networks or denounce research partnerships which did not involve the people concerned, or the expert people from the minority communities studied, in the research process itself.
Although collaborative or participatory research aims to listen to all people and all groups, in practice, this is not always the case (see card 81 on epistemic injustice). How can we reverse these power dynamics and properly value all types of contribution? We can promote financial remuneration for participants’ testimonials, for example; we can also ensure that the completed research results are made accessible to and are disseminated in the communities involved in the project in the format which they can use and mobilize in their own work as well.
A genuine partnership with the communities involved in partnership research, requires the ability to adapt to the community’s rhythm, which can differ from yours, and where the partnership is honored throughout each stage of the project (defining research questions, methods to answer them, dissemination of results, etc.). It also requires a willingness to really listen and the humility to sometimes hear things that challenge your way of doing things.
Extractivist practices very often rely on the tokenization of Black and racialized people in an attempt to legitimize these practices. Tokenization consists in instrumentalizing people from minority groups, in a space where they are usually underrepresented, to give the impression that this space is diverse. It allows the exclusion, silencing and devaluation of knowledge produced by Black and racialized women and non-binary people in partnership research.
To reverse extractivist practices in research, we must, among other things, invest time in developing long-term relationships with local players. We must create human and authentic connections with these communities, show solidarity with them when they experience specific issues, and understand their functioning and organization. It is not enough to send an email invitation for a meeting; you have to build these relationships and that takes time and humility.
Having advisory committees involved in collaborative research is one way to build these relationships of trust with communities. Spaces which bring together different people involved and/or who are working directly alongside these communities make it possible to broaden horizons and make room for a fairer representation of different points of view.
This approach means, among other things, that each stage of the research project and the decisions made are subject to collective reflection by all partners, and that people from minority communities are integrated into the collaborative research teams as well.
Establish measures to facilitate and make the participation of all possible (in the research team, and in the communities targeted by the research and the partners involved). For example, offering linguistic accompaniment can allow workers to communicate their intentions and be understood. It is good to use simplified and accessible language and make translation services available. Mentoring services could also be developed so that those who wish to be advised in carrying out a collaborative research project can be supported. Having access to mental health services for participants who need them would also be an excellent addition.
They [the community organizations] target certain communities which are marginalized, like the trans communities, racialized communities, migrant communities. And you have these big coalitions that access the funding but don’t have the expertise. […] Community organizations working on gender-based violence are getting all this money to work with trans folks, and they have no connection with trans folks or trans organizing.
Sofia - PARR report
Je vois des chercheurs qui veulent travailler avec le communautaire et il y a une résistance au sein du communautaire à travailler avec des chercheurs. Et c’est pour plusieurs raisons, parce que les travailleurs communautaires, souvent, ils sont dans des secteurs qui manquent de ressources, c’est un secteur qui est sous-évalué, mais ils offrent tellement de ressources. [...] Ils sont vraiment, vraiment exploités pour leurs, leurs expertises, leurs contacts, et les relations de con-fiance qu’ils ont bâti avec les habitants. […] Et puis, je crois, les chercheurs ne sont pas nécessairement au courant de tout le travail que cela implique, et ils peu-vent parfois avoir une approche plutôt extractiviste où ils ont besoin d’aller chercher des données ou ils ont besoin de contacter les habitants [...] Et ensuite, quand [...] ils [les organismes communautaires] ont besoin [...] du chercheur pour voir les résultats de la recherche et où ces résultats sont allés, et comment ça va aider, ils [lui] rétorquent alors : «Où es-tu? Nous avons fait tout cela pour toi. Nous sommes disponibles pour toi, mais je ne te vois pas nous redonner quoi que ce soit en retour». Donc il y a un déséquilibre dans la relation.
Chany - Rapport PARR
This concept, theorized by the philosopher Miranda Fricker in 2007, recognizes the link between “social inequalities and the production of knowledge” and the lack of credibility with which this knowledge and its producers are considered. Certain people and their knowledge are not recognized as legitimate and reliable, or bearers of valid knowledge. The by/for/with approach and other ethical research practices mentioned in these cards are invitations to fight against this epistemic injustice.
*Famous slogan attributed to Afrofeminist civil rights activist and lawyer, Florynce Kennedy.We don't always have the strength to react or fight. A helpful strategy is to anticipate the backlash in advance, and imagine ways to respond and resolve it. Don't hesitate to think outside the box, imagine far-fetched, daring solutions...have fun and maybe you'll find strength, comfort and power in this exercise of imagination.
An exercise imagined by Marie Dasylva
Choose and identify three truths that you are committed to defending ( ie.I have strong organizational skills; my professional demands are not whims; I deserve the good things that happen to me; I do not work on projects that are contrary to my values, etc.). You will not falter nor make concessions. You will never abandon your three truths, and they cannot be taken away from you.
Truth 1:
Truth 2:
Truth 3:
You have the right to have needs. You have the right to ask for help to meet these needs. Repeat or complete the following sentences and above all feel justified in saying them loud and clear.
I have the right to need someone to cook for me.I have the right to need help with my laundry.
I have the right to need help cleaning my apartment.
I have the right to need help brainstorming research ideas.
I have the right to want advice.I have the right to need proofreading for my funding requests or applications.
I need help with ____
I need help for _______(x number of times)
________(task) is too difficult for me, I need help.
I need help with _____ at this interval _____
No is a very small word, which can be difficult to utter, especially when we are used to putting the needs and desires of others before our own. Learn to say no as soon as possible so you can say yes to the things you really want.
Create your own filter that will allow you to know what you want to say YES to, and what you should say NO to. You can create this filter with elements that are important and essential to you, and that allow you to see if any given proposal, opportunity, or commitment really suits you.
Some questions you can ask yourself when evaluating a proposal:
What’s in it for me? What does this require of me (energy, resources, etc.)?
What will I have to leave or sacrifice (family, leisure, rest, money, etc.) to take on this new task/project?
What pushes me to say yes (personal accomplishment, external command, self-esteem, etc.)?
If the project really matters to me, can I refer it to another person or does it have to be me?
Are there other ways I can support the project while saying no?
List five things you do just for the joy and pleasure they give you. Keep this list in mind, renew it as needed. Above all, make sure to make room in your life for these five things as much as possible.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Write down your successes, small, big, recent or past. What do you think?
What makes you proud?
It can be tangible, like a project, or immaterial, like a lesson learnt, a battle waged, etc. Take the time to connect with these victories, and keep this paper in plain sight to remind you of them.
Do a complete evaluation of your current task list: in one color, identify the tasks that were listed in your job description when you accepted the job; in a second color, identify what was not in your description, but that you want to keep and which should lead to a salary increase or other type of recognition, and in a third color, mark the tasks which were not in your initial job description and that you don’t want to keep. Use this visual tool to help you renegotiate your salary or contract.
