In August of 2019, the West Side Indigenous Womxn and Womxn of Color Table (IWWOC) began discussing whether to change our Table’s name. These conversations have been ongoing and rooted in a commitment to dismantling anti-Blackness and racism in our communities.
In order to holistically advance our work in actively demolishing the dominant narrative and replacing it with our lived truths and realities, we stand firm in rejecting any disregard of or devaluing the experiences within the Black community.
It is for all of these reasons that we have decided to officially change our name to The West Side Black, Indigenous and Womxn of Color Table (BIWOC). With this decision we also want to be clear that deep conversation and learning doesn’t end with the name change. We’re committed to ongoing race and class work both within our Table and WSCO as a whole.
For those who wish to further understand our reasoning for this change, we invite you to check out the following resources:
“The term ‘people of color’ erases black people. Let’s retire it” https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-widatalla-poc-intersectionality-race-20190428-story.html?_amp=true
“Opinion: The term ‘people of color’ fails to be properly inclusive of the black community” -
“What We Get Wrong About ‘People of Color’” - https://www.wired.com/story/rethinking-phrase-people-of-color/amp