STACI B. MARTIN, EdD
"Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it."
- The Talmud
Response to the COVID: Hope-Pusher
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I started the card campaign on my personal Facebook page, when I returned from my 3-month Rotary Peace Fellowship, as the global pandemic was engulfing the world. Below is the TedxTalk. I will put the link when it is archived.
NOTE: In this art portfolio, I have chosen ten drawings, videos, and back stories to illustrate the process of pushing hope.
1. Odd Combinations
Postcardish/Card #72 goes to Peggy Lynn
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I met Peggy Lynn and more wonderful people at a summer program in Geneva, Switzerland. I am not sure why Peggy Lynn decided to write a paper with me or do any of my crazy ideas (conference proposals) but what I am sure of she has fantastic ideas, patience, and overall wonderful human being. We have resubmitted a paper with three other co-authors. Two of the authors are my past students. It will come out in 2021. The paper discusses access to and participation in higher education, specifically highlighting the academic agency of refugee-background learners who have resettled to the United States and the responsibility of faculty to value refugee-background learners as both knowledge creators and academic researchers. The paper is written from first-person reflection from co-authors. I am continuing to collaborate with a lot of folx to shift the paradigm to who can create knowledge and do research. Peggy Lynn is one of many with me that are supporting me to push against the status quo.
2. Fearlessness
Postcardish/Card #66 goes to Deepra.
This is an extraordinary womxn I met in Germany at a conference. At the conference, we sat for 2 hours and spoke about things that I rarely tell. These were things that exist in academia with regard to how I feel as a womxn, PoC, and at the time precarious adjunct teacher. As we spoke it seemed that she could finish my sentences with her own story and it would have come out simliar. I asked her to join me on a journey, a journey that I really had know idea where it might lead.
A publisher approached me to write a book about hope and I said that will need to be in a couple of years however I have always wanted to co-write a book on how we co-create "third spaces" for academics and scholars of color and from the Majority World (aka Global South). I explained this to Deepra in the two hours I met her and she said she would be interested in exploring the idea.
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Nine months later, Deepra and I have signed a contract with Routledge Publishing company for us to be the editors of the book titled, "Global South Scholars in the Western Academy: Harnessing Unique Experiences, Knowledges, and Positionality in the Third Space" in their Routledge Research in Decolonizing Education Series. We have over 40 authors that are mostly from the Majority World and of color. In one breath it is going to be a ridiculously tall mountain to climb and in the same breath what appeared to be impossible to some is fucking possible. Thanks Deepra for believing in me, walking alongside me, working, and trusting me. I am grateful for you.
3. Outside the Box
Postcardish/Card #77 goes to Cindy.
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When I met Cindy, I was doing a intensive course at Uni of Geneva. She spoke to our class about Jesuit Worldwide Learning: Higher Education at the Margins project was doing. I was in the middle of my doctorate trying to find a community partner for my research. Cindy literally walked into my life and said, why don't you partner with us in Kakuma Refugee Camp? I said, yes. Cindy connected me with two people that made everything work Tara and Shema. You two are amazing. Cindy, it goes without saying, I'm grateful for the connection, support, and enthusiasm.
4. Hopeful Youth
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Postcardish/Card #73 goes to Emily's daughter Calliope.
Calliope does not know me "from a bar of soap" but if she is Emily's daughter she must have a lot of spunk in her.
This card also goes out to all the young people that are struggling to find some hope in a world that needs hope. Even if we (adults) want to have our own tantrums (my president has them daily on twitter), we must show these young people that there adults in the room. These adults care deeply about their well-being, love them, and will not abandon them when things appear to be hopeless. Let us be their north star that offers them a safe, brave, and hopeful place to be a young person.
5. Dr. Fauci
Postcardish/Card #71 goes to Dr. Fauci.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci has worked for more than 40 years for the American people. He’s 79 years old and still works 80 hours a week during the current health crisis. He’s a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom given by President George W. Bush in 2008 for his work in combating HIV around the world. Below is an address where he works, The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. I am sending him a gratitude card...by snail mail. All my 71+ cards have postage on them. The postage purchased will help the USPS. If you have the urge send a card to someone, send him one of gratitude.
Dr. Anthony Fauci
c/o NIAID Office of Communications and Government Relations
5601 Fishers Lane, MSC 9806
Bethesda, MD 20892-9806
USA
Please share by copying and pasting
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6. Connected
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Postcardish/Card #65 goes to a person I do not know. However, he is a friend of a friend that is in jail for reasons I do not need to know.
All I know is we have existing pandemics that have been permeating for decades in our country. One of them is the-school-to-prison-pipeline.
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https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/spring-2013/the-school-to-prison-pipeline
https://neaedjustice.org/social-justice-issues/ending-the-school-to-prison-pipeline/
7. Bad Arse Rockstars
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Postcardish/Card # 61 goes to Micki and all the other educational bad arse rock stars I admire.
Micki, your mentorship has gone way beyond what I could've imagined. I am admire and love you very much. May we do more projects, write papers, and drink wine as we talk about how we can support, hope, and make real change in the lives of our students.
8. Hope Inside of You
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Postcardish/Card #59 goes to Uncle John
I think I can say from all the Schatz side or for that matter anybody who has met John would think he is the most amazing, intriguing, and clever man you have ever met. When I was little I loved to sit in his lap and have him take me for a spin in his wheelchair. As I got older, I was intrigued by his wit, insight of world, and his love for politics. For a post-polio survivor of almost 80 years old, he knows what a global virus can do and he also has shown that a virus also can't stop him from going to college, being a highschool history teacher, living independently, and pushing for more disability rights. We need a lot more people like John in the world!
9. Bright Ideas
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Postcardish/Card # 52 goes to Lorelei
Have you ever met a person with wit, charisma, smarts, and bad arse all in one package? They are rare people and when you have met one you hold on for dear life because the adventures you might have will be endless. For this brief time, I have gotten to know a group of bad arse fellows https://rpfaa.org/global-cyber-peace-conference/ and Lorelei is on the top of the list! Grateful to walk alongside you, my sister.
10. Organize
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Postcardish/Card #40 goes to Irene
Eva requested a long time ago that I send the amazing, revolutionary, visionary, and bad arse organizer, Irene Santiago. You have made a profound mark in my life. I strive to be in your image. I woke up today feeling alive and less dead. I know this feeling will pass but for now, I am letting it shine on me. During these times of opportunities, may we recognize our enormous worth, power as a group of people, stop talking & start listening. Hope is in the air.