Micah Sakado A02: Week 1- "Fight the Tower: A Call to Action for Women of Color in Academia"

There are two main points in Professor Valverde’s article that I would like to address. The first that I found most interesting is the idea of inner and outer circles. Valverde went into her fight for tenure initially thinking that threats would only come from outside sources. These places have been marked as the enemy: systems of oppression. However, it quickly became clear that as a women of color, oppression can come from your inner and outer circle. These attacks can come from anyone; whether it be someone with higher or lower status, intellect, or tolerance than oneself. This is disheartening since it can hinder the ability to gain trust in others. One of Valverde’s instructions on how to fight the tower is to gain allies wherever you can find them. I assume this is because she found enemies everywhere. As a result, allies must be found wherever she could find them. This is not to say that people are desperate for alliances. I am claiming that since enemies are everywhere you go, you must surround yourself with as many allies as possible.

This leads into my second point; everyday acts of resistance is a common tool that lower class people use to resist against aggressors as Scott kelly and James Scott outline in their respective articles. This is a popular weapon because in many cases, it is the only weapon one may have. It is a collective act of resistance that is futile without support is multiple numbers. Valverde says it is crucial that we come together to fight this tower. The reason why stories like Valverde’s must be recorded and shared is because it makes others understand the situation and the fight. The only way a war can we won with everyday acts of resistance is if we have enough soldiers to fill the entire tower; only then can it be taken down.

Question: Is there a way to defeat the tower? Or is the presence of resistance enough to keep them on their toes? What is the ultimate goal?

Picture taken from the movie Ip Man. A mob only has strength in numbers. For it to work, everyone has to participate.