Using Our Power and Privilege to Make Change

Have you ever read about things in the news and felt the urge to want to do something? To take action and improve situations? To right wrongs and make a difference? The impulse has crossed my mind and heart before, but for certain reasons (see upcoming flashback below), I haven't.

Cue the flashback: I doubt that anyone in my family except for me remembers this, but long ago, my brother was in Cub Scouts. Something unpleasant happened at one of his Cub meetings, and I, a protective bigger sister, after hearing about it (second-hand) was incensed. I wrote a fiery letter to the Scout leader complaining about a person related to the incident. (I think I may have even recommended that the individual resign or be removed from the volunteer organization.) Well, the Scout leader phoned me to talk about the letter. I didn't keep a copy of the letter, so I couldn't recall almost anything I wrote. He firmly rebutted my points and verbally took me down several pegs. He took me to task about my understanding of the event that precipitated the letter-writing and my emotional overreaction. At the end of that conversation, I was completely humiliated. It led me to a couple of unhealthy,"warped" habits that I upheld for years - I became obsessive about keeping drafts of any correspondences I sent, and I grew very reluctant to speak up if I thought I saw injustice. (End of flashback.)

 (Note: this picture is "labeled for re-use" from Pixabay.)

I apologize for centering myself in this narrative, but I wanted to give some context as to why this past week's action was a bit of a big deal for me. I use my Twitter feed to connect with my network of friends and colleagues, but also to learn more about equity issues. Someone once recommended checking your Twitter feed to see who you follow and to pay attention to those faces to ensure you aren't in an echo chamber. I try and that's why it's such a great source of learning for me, despite the 280 character limit.

I am so fortunate that I follow Desmond Wong. I met Desmond when we were working with the Ontario Library Association's Super Conference. Desmond was part of the Careers / Mentoring Committee and I was one of the two OSLA Planners. (In the photo of all the Planning Team on this blog, he's in the far back and I'm right in front.) I followed him on Twitter (@desmondcwong) and paid attention to the things he retweeted and shared, because he's super-smart, aware, and fun. Recently, he'd been sharing a lot about Manua Kea. It inspired me to do more than just "like" or "retweet". I decided that, even though it felt like just a drop in the bucket, that I'd try to write a letter to the Canadian contacts behind the TMT Project that a Hawaiian librarian named Kawena (@pastelpatrol on Twitter) mentioned. Desmond agreed to proofread my letter. He did a great job of helping me ensure that these were my thoughts (he didn't put any words in my mouth) and that I was clear about why this was such a problematic project. Both Desmond and Kawena expressed heartfelt gratitude for my action - and writing a letter isn't earth-shaking. I've done it for education-related issues (like the recent provincial cuts) but that was, to be frank, somewhat in my own self-interest. This was an issue that I didn't know much about, but because of people like Desmond and Kawena, I wanted to know more about and help.

This is why Twitter can be a tool for good sometimes. Between this, and Hawaii and Attawapiskat - awareness is the 1st step, action the next. https://t.co/davANVdLMo

— Diana Maliszewski (@MzMollyTL) July 22, 2019

Thank you @pastelepatrol for this resource. It gives me a solid action I can take (in Canada) to help. I'll be searching your Twitter feed (and others, like @desmondcwong) so my email will have lots of information about the topic and be as persuasive as possible. https://t.co/WdKEbaKUhm

— Diana Maliszewski (@MzMollyTL) July 27, 2019

Below is the letter that I wrote to three Canadians: don.brooks@ubc.ca, gregory.falhman@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca, and kvenn@uvic.ca. I am sharing it here publicly not to make myself look good, but to use as a potential inspiration or template if other people would like to write.


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My name is Diana Maliszewski. I am a teacher-librarian with the Toronto District School Board and an instructor with the York University’s Professional Learning office. I don’t usually write letters like this; letters in which I’m asking formidable institutions to reconsider a position they’ve taken about an issue that I’m still in the process of learning about myself. However, the more that I’ve read, the more I believe that even though my voice seems insignificant, I should still register my concerns about this project.

The project I’m referring to is the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project in Mauna Kea, Hawaii. I tried to ensure that the research I encountered as I educated myself about this project was as “balanced” as possible.  On https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49082156, in which both sides were given ample air play, what struck me most was the statement that “Hundreds of scientists and astronomers, including many from institutions linked to the project, have also condemned the "criminalisation" of people opposing the TMT.” These people are specifically Hawaiian cultural leaders, Elders, Uncles, Aunties and Land Protectors on their own Lands.

According to Eve Tuck from the University of Toronto, “[m]ore than 3000 people are on Mauna Kea to object to this construction, and they are being monitored and arrested by police armed with guns, batons, tear gas, and Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRADs). Directly or indirectly, Canadian universities are involved in using militarized force to construct this massive 18-story telescope.”

Kaniela Ing said (in an interview found at https://mediaforus.org/interviews/2019/7/25/kanielaing) that other options are available – some of the 13 other telescopes already on Mauna Kea can be dismantled or repurposed to make room for this big new one, or it can be built on the Canary Islands. There has been no consultation with Indigenous Hawaiians regarding the use or movement of this project and a distressing lack of care towards their needs and culture.

I implore that the people who are non-violently objecting to this construction project be treated with respect and that solutions be devised that take into account the cultural, spiritual, environmental, and educational aspects of this issue.

Thank you for your time,

Diana Maliszewski

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I didn't include it in my letter, but I also want to call attention to a great article by Christine Torres. In an earlier draft of my letter, I said:

Christina Torres recommended that educators discuss issues such as this in her online article (found at http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/intersection-culture-and-race-in-education/2019/07/towards-love-honoring-indigenous-land-in-our-classrooms.html); I plan on doing so and I hope I’ll be able to share that the Canadian involvement in this project is one of which I can be proud.

As educators (and especially for me, a white, cis-gendered, heterosexual, able-bodied, upper-middle-class, Christian woman), we have privilege. We should use that privilege to speak out more frequently than we do. I hope that maybe I can learn to do more than write letters or conduct lessons. As Kelly Wickham Hurst (@mochamomma on Twitter) said in something I retweeted, "I'm on a journey too." Hopefully I don't stall and continue to move forward to try and make the world a better place.