Diversity, Equality & inclusion
Alpha Phi joins all who condemn racism, hate, bigotry, and violence. Our sisterhood grieves with the families and friends of those who have suffered injustice. As Alpha Phis, we expect our members to live up to our high ideals and to show the best qualities of character by being fair, inclusive and supportive. Racism, hate, bigotry and violence are in complete contradiction with our purpose.
The Fraternity is committed to providing education and resources that build cultural competence and to actively engage in conversations that challenge one another to be anti-racist. As members of Alpha Phi, we cannot stand silently by as our communities and the world are impacted by violence and injustice. We call on our members and chapters to stand up against hate and to take action to care for those who are harmed by racism.
To our black members and friends, your families and loved ones, we see you, we hear you, and we stand hand-in-hand with you.
The following is a list of resources where you can educate yourself and make a difference through donating and signing petitions.
JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD PETITION
JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD MEMORIAL FUND
JUSTICE FOR BREONNA TAYLOR PETITION
JUSTICE FOR AHMAUD ARBERY PETITION
MENTAL HEALTH IN BLACK AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES
BLACK HISTORY MONTH LIBRARY by Charles Preston
ON BEING WHITE by James Baldwin
WHITE FRAGILITY by Robin DiAngelo
THE INVISIBLE WEIGHT OF WHITENESS: THE RACIAL GRAMMAR OF EVERYDAY
LIFE IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
RACE, POWER, AND POLICY: DISMANTLING STRUCTURAL RACISM by the Grassroots Policy Project
WORDS MATTER: THOUGHTS ON LANGUAGE AND by the Critical Resistance Abolition Toolkit Workgroup
WHITE PRIVILEGE: UNPACKING THE INVISIBLE KNAPSACK by Peggy McIntosh
A message from our vice president of diversity, equality & inclusion
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department is working hard to continue and make strong headway on our chapter’s journey towards upholding our values. We are striving to focus on three main goals throughout the year; promoting diversity, focusing on education, and emphasizing our engagement.
Our department’s very purpose can boil down to creating a stronger community for our chapter, this can only be done through encouraging diversity. Our recruitment practises will be essential to find those with a wide range of perspectives and ideas. Ahead of the 2021 Winter Recruitment, the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) department established a diversity committee. Our conversation was eye-opening, engaging and cultivated an amazing space to share our trials and tribulations surrounding recruitment. We were able to identify what stuck with us, both positive and negative, during our recruitment, so we can implement or emphasize those elements. Women of every school year were able to come together and have a fulfilling and enriching conversation, which is a strong step in the direction of creating the chapter we hope to be.
Surrounding our focus on education, our department has implemented ‘Alpha Awareness’ during each week of chapter meeting. We create an infographic to address current events to ensure the girls remain in the know and informed. This element of chapter meeting is just one of our informal styles to educate the girls while keeping them engaged. We are striving for a mixture of both informal and formal education, like utilizing chapter meetings, because the journey to achieving change all lies on one’s foundation of knowledge and openness to learn.
Lastly, our department wants to keep in contact with you; parents, alumnae, and the community. This platform allows us to remain engaged with you and means you are constantly ‘in-the-know’. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department is striving to not only impact the active chapter members but also want to impact the community around us. We know our journey towards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will take time, patience, and dedication. We hope you will come along this journey with us.
Kayla Goodridge
Vice President of Diversity, Equality & Inclusion
Alpha Phi Women's Fraternity
Iota Theta Chapter
Wilfrid Laurier University ΑΦ