Artist Statement
We arrive at these professional meetings, met by an overwhelming wave of whiteness. The stories that academics tell are often about the sorry repercussions of colonial pasts that may be retraumatizing. Yet when it’s our turn to tell our story, some of us worry about the possible aftermaths of our tears and “drama” on our careers. Someone tells you that you might be too close to your subject of study. Some of us come in, with ancestral languages almost forgotten. Someone tests your language skills and intimacy with your heritage. “Where are you really from?” Some of us come certainly impressed by (perhaps partly jealous of) your borrowings from cultures that we had to shed as civilizing imperial projects launched into modern subjects. Someone recites to us an unsolicited reading list. Did we hurt your sensitivities when we said the classics need rethinking and that you need to begin to cite us too? Some of us did not make it to the meetings. Visas delayed or rejected – not enough proof of legitimacy, miscalculated wait times, background checks taking longer than usual? For now, shall we critically humor our shared grief, pain, tragedies? Bingo! – Dada Docot
The AoC Bingo Card may be downloaded and revised for your use.
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