Support letter from Jayme Dittmar
I am here to support the womxn and non-binary POC I had the privilege of meeting at SHIFT 2018 in the Emerging Leaders Program. I am a witness to the violent, traumatizing events that they experienced and are still living through. In the aftermath of all this, I am still seeing actions from SHIFT that are entrenched in the fear-based systems of which our most brilliant voices, actions and creativity are oppressed and subdued by.
I don’t believe that the individuals who signed the Letter of Support for Beckwith, printed in the Jackson Hole News and Guide on May 8th, and remark “inflammatory and badly damaging allegations have been made with no concrete examples to support the claim,” have taken the time to read the experiences of the womxn of color over at the Medium page.
I also don’t believe this letter of support accurately nor adequately acknowledges the concerns of the seventeen individuals that signed Christian’s resignation letter or the issue at question — how capable is a white person, in presiding a conference that “explore(s) issues at the intersection of outdoor recreation, conservation, public health and cultural relevance?”
The core concern of SHIFT is not a question of Christian’s character, who I’m certain is fundamentally caring, apologetic, and dedicated to moving forward with intentions of improving himself and the SHIFT conference. Also, there is no doubt he has lead considerable accomplishments in conservation and outdoor recreation community of Jackson. However, Christian has also acknowledged that he “does not have the training to work in the DEI space,” and that he is also “trying to work himself out of a job.”
So, it sounds that Christian has used his white and male privilege to raise a conference that he no longer has the knowledge to preside over. I see that as a symbol of growth the outdoor industry needs and a victory. However the next natural step is obvious; it’s not bearing down and insisting guardianship fortification and patriarchy, but gracefully stepping aside. Instead, it is unsettling to see some of those at SHIFT who we need most leave the SHIFT Board. After this conference there are currently no womxn, genderqueer or trans POC represented on this level. I believe Christian’s step down would actually benefit his career in a true act of allyship, while accomplishing just what he set out to do, “work himself out of a job.” If this cannot happen because of a matter of politics or economics, this needs to be transparent with the community.
I also want to acknowledge this letter’s understanding of racism, as a white person and former resident of Jackson. I will paraphrase the thoughts of Orion writer, Nicholas Triolo. While benefiting from white privilege, to actually confront and see whiteness one has to understand that it is like a gas, everpresent, not immediately visible and adaptive to any environment in order to stay on top and in power. Challenging the legacies of white privilege, especially to those who consider themselves outside the racist category, will erupt in defensiveness, withdrawal, deflation that immediately allows responsibility and ownership of these problems to be passed on.
To actually work within intersectionality a white person will need to prioritize others and take the time and empathy to absorb experiences of hate, bigotry and colonialism. It will take listening, learning, scrutinizing your speech, thought and patterning. This type of learning is not to happen at the emotional labor and cost of others, which is what occurred at SHIFT. Though this was not intentional, it is still an act of racism.
Finally, a request for resignation is not conducted in malice, which is what this letter of support seems to convey, but quite the opposite, out of responsibility and in protection to outdoor spaces and communities.
(I submitted this for public comment on the Jackson Hole News and Guide website May 10th. My comment was not accepted “due to the presence of profanity and objectionable content.” I received an apology from staff, but have not yet received an explanation).
— Jayme Dittmar
