Dear Reader, We hope this newsletter finds you determined, strong, healthy, and civically engaged—working, learning, and living in partnership and community. In the past two years, there has been a surge in hate crimes across the country. Accordingto a report from the FBI, who tracks reported hate crime activity, the biggest hate uptick in2015 was against Americans who are Muslims. Attacks against transgender people alsointensified. Overall, reported hate activity in the United States is growing, amidmainstream rhetoric of fear, disparagement, exclusion, and neo-patriotism. This edition of our newsletter focuses on Islamophobia as both an irrational fear of Islamand acts of hostility and prejudice toward Muslims. You will read a feature essay from Dr.Nadia Guessous, assistant professor of Feminist and Gender Studies; as well as aninformation piece by Chaplain Kate Holbrook about the ongoing work to support Muslimstudents, faculty, and staff. Additionally, we have included select articles and videos thatprovide insight to the experiences of Muslim citizens—people of faith who have beenothered, racialized, and stigmatized—and help to frame an understanding of Islamophobia,a phenomenon not new to this country. We take particular care in distributing this edition of the newsletter as recent governmentalpractices and Executive Orders attack the freedoms of Muslims in the U.S. and haveemboldened a hateful, terrorizing climate toward them across the country. We send this newsletter in support of our friends, neighbors, peers, faculty, staff, studentswho are unjustly targeted by rhetoric, policies, and behaviors that are othering anddehumanizing. We reject hate in any form and from any form toward you. We challengeCC (ourselves) to resist the seeds of fear and hostility that seek fertile ground in subtle wayseveryday.

Sincerely,

Paul M. Buckley, Ph.D.Assistant Vice President and Inaugural Director of the Butler Center

Block 6 Newsletter: Islamophobia

Contents:History/Heritage Month Celebrations

The Butler Center and Heads of State Awards for Diveristy & InclusionUpcoming Events

Block 6 ProgramsCommunity Voices

Nadia GuessousKate Holbrook

Articles for Further ReadingThe Butler Center Statements

The Butler Center InternsOffice Hours and Names

The Butler Center StaffOffice Hours and Areas of Focus

CC SnapshotsPhotos of Recent Events

History/Heritage Month Celebrations

We continue to celebrate Black History Month throughout February!

Women's History Month is celebrated in March and will be honoring Women of Color! Thefirst event is on March 1st at 5:30 p.m. downstairs in Worner, and is a "Women'sHistory Month Trivia Kick-Off: How much do you know about women thathave shaped history?" 10 winners will receive $5 gift cards to Colorado Coffee!

Click on the poster to open the nomination form!

The Butler Center’s Upcoming Events in Block 6

Tuesday, Feb 28: "Mind, Body & Soul" from 5:15-6:00 p.m. in the Interfaith House. Allwomen of color are invited to join in discussion on ways to nurture the minds, bodies, andsouls of women of color on campus. Contact Aracely.Navarro@ColoradoCollege.eduwith questions and to RSVP for dinner.

Thursday, Mar 9: "First Generation Collegiate Program" from 12:15-1 p.m. in SlocumCommons. This will be a conversation about finances, planning, reaching your goals, andpreparing for your future with real talk about how finances work both while at CC andoutside the CC “bubble”. For students, faculty & staff who are the first in their family toattend college. Contact Kazzandra.Medellin@ColoradoCollege.edu to be added to

the listserv or to RSVP for lunch.

Thursday, March 9: "Spectrum Training" from 3-5 p.m. in the Barbara YalichBoardroom (Spencer Center). For all students wanting to attend a training session to gaina basic understanding of LGBTQIA+ ally-ship.

Thursday, March 9: "Presentation by Social and Political Commentator PhoebeRobinson" from 7-9 p.m. in Richard F. Celeste Theatre in Cornerstone. Free and open tothe public.

Wednesday, March 15: "Break the Block" from 12:15-1:30 p.m. in the Butler Centerarea. All are invited to share a complimentary lunch and discussion as we decompress fromthe block and start block break!

Community Voices

This block, we are highlighting voices regarding the Muslim community at ColoradoCollege and interrogating Islamophobia. We hope you find that these articles benefit yourunderstanding of and involvement in this work.

On the Unequal Distribution of Pain by Nadia Guessous, Assistant Professor ofFeminist and Gender StudiesIt is difficult to describe the fear, panic, and distress that I felt as an Arab and MuslimAmerican following the announcement of the Executive Order on Friday, January 27.Although I am technically one of the lucky few not directly affected by the ban (I am a UScitizen who is not originally from one of the seven countries targeted by the executiveorder), I derived little comfort from this seemingly reassuring fact. I know from experiencethat the good Muslim/bad Muslim distinction is an arbitrary and ever shifting one, offeringnothing but conditional and precarious protection to those temporarily deemed “GoodMuslims.” Continue reading...

Muslim Community at CC by Kate Holbrook, ChaplainIt is a gift to continue to be in community and work with Muslim students, faculty and staffat CC in my role as chaplain. Like any spiritual or religious group on campus, the Muslimcommunity is diverse. It is not monolithic in terms of beliefs, practices, and religiouscultural expressions of the Muslim faith. In working with student leaders Ouli Sane ’18 andMostafa Zaki-Taha ’18, we try to provide spaces for the wider Muslim community to engagein a variety of ways including weekly rides to the Islamic Society of Colorado Springs forJuma prayers, shared community meals, Quran study, and other holiday and socialgatherings... Continue reading...

The Butler Center newsletter celebrates creative expression and intentionally features

poetry, art, and film that highlights diverse experiences and voices. In this Block 6newsletter, we are featuring two videos that focus on the experiences of young

Muslim Americans and Islamophobia.

"Extended Interview: Millennial Muslims on life in America" (CBS News)

Additional Video:

Christians vs. Muslims Spoken Word (18 Karat Reggae)

Online Articles for Further Reading

"Islam isn’t a race. But it still makes sense to think of Islamophobia asracism." (Vox)

"How Muslim women bear the brunt of Islamophobia." (WashingtonPost)

The Butler Center

VisionTo be the national leader among liberal arts educators in the field of equity and inclusion.

MissionTo lead Colorado College’s efforts in co-creating a learning community that is inclusive and

just.

IdentityThe Butler Center is the hub of diversity, inclusion, intercultural exchange, equity, and

empowerment for the Colorado College community.

Statement of PurposeThe Butler Center invests in the cultivation of an inclusive campus community where the

differences and similarities of individuals and communities are valued and explored throughlearning, mentoring, advising, facilitating dialogues, and providing a myriad of community-building activities. The Butler Center intentionally interrogates our shared beliefs, practices,

and systems toward inclusive and equitable outcomes at Colorado College.

CC Snapshots

The 3rd Annual Student,Faculty & Staff Mixer tookplace on Tuesday, Jan. 31,and brought togetherstudents, faculty, and staffto enjoy food, conversation,and the opportunity toconnect with individualsfrom across different partsof campus. This event was agreat way to start off thesemester!

As a way to celebrate the

"#MuslimJoy Hashtag Pushes Back Against #MuslimBan." (Color Lines)

end of Block 5, students andthe Butler Center Staff cametogether for "Break theBlock", a blockly lunch anddiscussion to encouragetime for reflection,decompressing, andcommunity-building!

Students gathered for a"Conversation on Solidarityin Racial Justice Activism"with Shining Soul, a U.S.-Mexico Border Activist Hip-Hop Group, and also hadthe opportunity to hearthem perform in PackardHall.

The Butler Center Interns

Available Monday-Friday from 12-6 p.m.

Aracely Navarro '18Kazzandra Medellin '18Brianna Apodaca '18Allan Zheng '19

The Butler Center Staff

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.Extended hours until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (except during 4thweek).

Paul M. Buckley, Ph.D.Assistant Vice President, Director of the Butler Center

Advisor to: The Daniels Scholars, Conversations on Whiteness,and MAPS

Talk to Dr. Buckley about: Teaching and learning opportunitiesfor faculty and staff, campus climate, strategic diversity andinclusion for the college, and much more!

Pearl Leonard-Rock, M.A.Associate Director Advisor to: Black Student Union, SOMOS, AMUN, QSN:QuestBridge, and MAPs Talk to Pearl about: Mind, Body, and Soul, First GenerationCollegiate Program, Open Dialogue Circles, the Butler CenterInternship Program, teaching and learning experiences offeredthrough the Butler Center (available to all students, staff, andfaculty), and much more!

Open Office Hours: Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m.

Tre Wentling, Ph.D.Gender & Identity Development Specialist

Advisor to: QCC, EQUAL, and MOSAIC

Talk to Tre about: Spectrum Training on sexual orientation,gender identity and allyship, First Wednesdays for internationalstudents, and much more!

Open Office Hours: Wednesdays, 5-7 p.m.

Liliana E. Delman, M.S.Coordinator of Mentoring and Diversity Initiatives Advisor to: Native American Student Union, FemCo, The ClassSalon, LD on the DL, Asian Student Association, KoreanAmerican Student Association, South Asian StudentAssociation, and the Sophomore Class Committee Talk to Liliana about: the S.A.I.L. (Sophomore Advanced

Initiative for Leadership) Mentoring Program, the Butler Centernewsletter and bi-weekly announcements, and much more!

Open Office Hours: Thursdays, 5-7 p.m.

Michelle Ann Stallings, M.A.Administrative Assistant

Talk to Michelle about: scheduling a meeting with Dr. Buckley,getting in touch with any of the Butler Center staff, upcomingprograms, and much more!

Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Monday-Friday

Colorado College

14 East Cache La Poudre St.,

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903

Copyright © 2016 Colorado College, All rights reserved.

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Colorado College

14 East Cache La Poudre St.,

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903

Copyright © 2016 Colorado College, All rights reserved.

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