Hi All,

For today’s Wednesday Win, I want to recognize our partners in education, the Board of Trustees, and their denunciation (statement below) of the anti-Semitic remarks recently made by Kanye West. Recently basketball player Kyrie Irving used his social media platform to direct people to an anti-Semitic film. Anti-Semitism is not just hurtful but dangerous. It is born out of hate and ignorance. Many of us professors work to educate our students on issues of religion, race, gender, sexuality, and other topics. This work is as crucial as any other subject, yet some still seek to restrict our factual teachings regarding social justice. While we are becoming a more just society, we have a long way to go, and education is one of the tools that will help get us there.

Gabriel Kovnator, from our EBoard, will present the Board of Trustees’ statement asking AFT 1521 to support it at the next EBoard Meeting. I appreciate Gabriel’s intelligence and thoughtfulness, and I want to thank him for his leadership. We are always stronger together and I’m proud to work in a district where the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, our sister unions, and the academic senate have been in unison with AFT 1521 condemning anti-Semitism, racism, bigotry, homophobia, Islamophobia, and sexism. We have much work to do internally and externally, but we are up for the task. This is what our students, campuses, and communities demand and deserve. Thank you again for the noble work you do.

Board of Trustees – LACD Statement Against Anti-Semitism – 10.28.22
On behalf of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees and District Administration, we denounce the discriminatory remarks recently made by Kanye West. Incidents or language with clear intentions to divide and discriminate have no place and are not welcomed here at LACCD, whether fueled by anti-Semitism, racism, bigotry, homophobia, Islamophobia, misogyny, sexual harassment or any other form of discrimination, prejudice or bias, and hate.” The Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, our sister unions, and the academic senate have been in unison with AFT 1521 in addressing these issues when they arise. This also demonstrates the progress we have made and the work we have to continue to do to better educate our communities. Facts and information are the dangerous sentiments stated by people like Kanye West and Kyrie Irving.

In Unity,

A. James McKeever PhD

AFT 1521 Faculty Guild President