Announcements and Updates:
Important and urgent Information regarding LUNCH at ToCBack 2018 - Please read carefully-
Dear ToCBack Conference Attendees:
Greetings, and thank you again for your support and participation in Justice Speaks’ first annual Teacher of Color conference, "I am a Teacher of Color": Teachers Speak Back to the Academy.
We write to ask for your support and understanding regarding a change of events with our lunch catering arrangement. It has been a long-standing tradition for Justice Speaks events to be offered at no cost to attendees as accessibility is an integral aspect of our vision. In accordance with the values and ethics of our conference, the Justice Speaks event committee had planned to provide free lunch to all attendees; furthermore, we intended to work with a small local business owner of color, Juana Lopez, the woman behind Juanita’s Mexican cuisine, whose booth is commonly featured at the Bellingham Farmers Market on Saturdays. For more information about Juanita's cuisine click here: https://tocback.weebly.com/juanitas-mexican-cuisine.html
Despite having already established a precedent of working with Juanita on catering for several past Justice Speaks events -- including our largest event, the Spring 2017 Angela Davis keynote -- this time around, our request to WWU Dining Services for permission to work again with Juanita was denied. We were notified that because WWU Dining Services has a long-standing contract with Aramark, they retain the first right of refusal to grant catering exemption requests to work with off-campus vendors. In other words, we are being compelled to choose between working with Aramark’s catering or have no food catered at all.
In light of the below history of the Aramark company, we have opted to decline their terms (see links at the end of this email). Working with Aramark goes against everything that Justice Speaks stands for. Instead, we are asking conference attendees to opt for one of the following three options:
**Please note that if you are unable to purchase or bring your own food, the committee will try to purchase extra plates of food from Juanita’s. DO email us right away to let us know if you are interested in this.
1. Juanita's’ Mexican Cuisine: Given our commitment to support local vendors of color, this is our preferred food option for the conference. Attendees who are able to do so may place an order online by May 2nd with Juanita’s through the Google Form and pay via Venmo or with cash the day of the conference (there is an ATM located in Miller Hall, the venue of the conference).
a. https://goo.gl/forms/EgWmqFY9qhKJFyK53
b. Venmo: @Juanitas-Whatcom
Important and urgent Information regarding LUNCH at ToCBack 2018 - Please read carefully-
Dear ToCBack Conference Attendees:
Greetings, and thank you again for your support and participation in Justice Speaks’ first annual Teacher of Color conference, "I am a Teacher of Color": Teachers Speak Back to the Academy.
We write to ask for your support and understanding regarding a change of events with our lunch catering arrangement. It has been a long-standing tradition for Justice Speaks events to be offered at no cost to attendees as accessibility is an integral aspect of our vision. In accordance with the values and ethics of our conference, the Justice Speaks event committee had planned to provide free lunch to all attendees; furthermore, we intended to work with a small local business owner of color, Juana Lopez, the woman behind Juanita’s Mexican cuisine, whose booth is commonly featured at the Bellingham Farmers Market on Saturdays. For more information about Juanita's cuisine click here: https://tocback.weebly.com/juanitas-mexican-cuisine.html
Despite having already established a precedent of working with Juanita on catering for several past Justice Speaks events -- including our largest event, the Spring 2017 Angela Davis keynote -- this time around, our request to WWU Dining Services for permission to work again with Juanita was denied. We were notified that because WWU Dining Services has a long-standing contract with Aramark, they retain the first right of refusal to grant catering exemption requests to work with off-campus vendors. In other words, we are being compelled to choose between working with Aramark’s catering or have no food catered at all.
In light of the below history of the Aramark company, we have opted to decline their terms (see links at the end of this email). Working with Aramark goes against everything that Justice Speaks stands for. Instead, we are asking conference attendees to opt for one of the following three options:
**Please note that if you are unable to purchase or bring your own food, the committee will try to purchase extra plates of food from Juanita’s. DO email us right away to let us know if you are interested in this.
1. Juanita's’ Mexican Cuisine: Given our commitment to support local vendors of color, this is our preferred food option for the conference. Attendees who are able to do so may place an order online by May 2nd with Juanita’s through the Google Form and pay via Venmo or with cash the day of the conference (there is an ATM located in Miller Hall, the venue of the conference).
a. https://goo.gl/forms/EgWmqFY9qhKJFyK53
b. Venmo: @Juanitas-Whatcom
Lunch menu for ToCBack 2018
2. Brown Bag: Attendees may bring their own brown bag lunch to the conference.
3. WWU Campus: Attendees may purchase lunch on campus at the following locations:
a. https://wwu.campusdish.com/en/LocationsAndMenus/ZoesBooksideBagels
b. https://wwu.campusdish.com/en/LocationsAndMenus/VikingUnionMarket/Subway
c. https://wwu.campusdish.com/en/LocationsAndMenus/VikingUnionCafe
Aramark in the news:
· https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tlHocIkJpNCKVoE26RgVNOpMxHY9hYm7SuAaRGIdmOs/edit
· https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/break-from-aramark-for-a-self-operated-dining-system-at-wwu
· www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/prison-strike-protest-aramark
· www.nytimes.com/2018/02/21/nyregion/nyu-black-history-month.html
· www.nyunews.com/2018/03/27/3-28-news-aramark/
· www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2018/jan/31/ohio-experiences-continued-problems-aramark/
· https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/01/09/prisoners-strike-against-prison-industrial-complex-and-food-giant-aramark
· https://www.nyunews.com/2018/03/27/3-28-news-aramark/
· https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2018/february/-statement-by-nyu-president-andrew-hamilton.html
· https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/02/22/us/nyu-kool-aid-watermelon-menu-black-history-month-trnd/index.html
· https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/loyola-dining-vendor-apologizes-for-black-history-month-menu-signs/
We thank you for your time and support, and look forward to having a great conference with all of you.
With love and teaching solidarity,
The ToCBack Committee
Giselle Alcantar Soto
Elaine Mehary
Anna Lees
Nini Hayes
A Longoria
Eldred Vidal Vazquez
Veronica Velez
Nat Reilly
Karen So
Who is this conference for?
Teachers of Color
Teacher - Candidates of Color
Students of Color interested in becoming teachers
ALL Teacher Ed. Faculty
3. WWU Campus: Attendees may purchase lunch on campus at the following locations:
a. https://wwu.campusdish.com/en/LocationsAndMenus/ZoesBooksideBagels
b. https://wwu.campusdish.com/en/LocationsAndMenus/VikingUnionMarket/Subway
c. https://wwu.campusdish.com/en/LocationsAndMenus/VikingUnionCafe
Aramark in the news:
· https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tlHocIkJpNCKVoE26RgVNOpMxHY9hYm7SuAaRGIdmOs/edit
· https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/break-from-aramark-for-a-self-operated-dining-system-at-wwu
· www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/prison-strike-protest-aramark
· www.nytimes.com/2018/02/21/nyregion/nyu-black-history-month.html
· www.nyunews.com/2018/03/27/3-28-news-aramark/
· www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2018/jan/31/ohio-experiences-continued-problems-aramark/
· https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/01/09/prisoners-strike-against-prison-industrial-complex-and-food-giant-aramark
· https://www.nyunews.com/2018/03/27/3-28-news-aramark/
· https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2018/february/-statement-by-nyu-president-andrew-hamilton.html
· https://www-m.cnn.com/2018/02/22/us/nyu-kool-aid-watermelon-menu-black-history-month-trnd/index.html
· https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/loyola-dining-vendor-apologizes-for-black-history-month-menu-signs/
We thank you for your time and support, and look forward to having a great conference with all of you.
With love and teaching solidarity,
The ToCBack Committee
Giselle Alcantar Soto
Elaine Mehary
Anna Lees
Nini Hayes
A Longoria
Eldred Vidal Vazquez
Veronica Velez
Nat Reilly
Karen So
Who is this conference for?
Teachers of Color
Teacher - Candidates of Color
Students of Color interested in becoming teachers
ALL Teacher Ed. Faculty
The Justice Speaks Series 1st Annual TOC Back Conference will be providing:
- Panels, Workshops & Poster Session by Teacher Candidates, Teachers & Faculty
- Free Clock Hours
- Free Registration
Do you have something you'd like to share with fellow ToCs or future ToCs?
SIGN UP FOR THE POSTER SESSION BY INDICATING YOUR INTEREST IN THE REGISTRATION FORM!