Rachel E. Watson — Activism Beyond the Classroom

Rachel completed their undergrad in History at the University of Central Oklahoma. A graduate of Education, Culture and Society’s master’s program, Rachel's master’s paper explored the role of settler colonialism in the United States, with an emphasis on the ways that relationships between teachers and students can challenge or reproduce white supremacist systems. They are deeply concerned with building solidarity across organizing movements and understanding the ways different forms of oppression play off of one another. Being Potawatomi, space and place are deeply essential to their work, and they hope to return home soon.

Writings

Featured

Revisiting His Birthday Poem

In 2016 I wrote a poem about how I felt after the man who raped me was found ‘not responsible’ for his actions by my university’s student conduct. It’s called “The Birthday Poem” because the anniversary of the rape was just a few days after his birthday, and I was still processing my feelings that August about the student conduct decision made in February.