Mission
The Concerned Students of Middlebury (CSM) is a collective of student organizers who are committed to challenging the status quo that the College has maintained and exists to fight for the liberation of our BIPOC, disabled, queer, poor, first-generation students of today and tomorrow. The freedoms we seek do not equate to the rearrangement or redecoration of elite, white supremacist hegemony at the College, but, instead, its complete abolition and transformation, channeling healing, power, and justice for all communities at this institution.
Our organizers come from communities all over the world, but that is not to say that our struggles in this life are the same. We commit ourselves to a framework of restorative justice and accountability that will educate, center, and guide those of us from privileged upbringings and backgrounds. We commit ourselves to respect and uplift the work of our Black and indigenous activist elders who have made our existence possible. It is their history of resistance and liberation from which we continue to learn from, and we are forever in debt to them for their bravery. Agents of institutions might seek to invalidate our fight by combatting outcomes favorable to our movement, but we know dismantling oppressive systems are lifelong, challenging battles. The results of these battles are filled with insurmountable hope and imagination, and the will to believe there can be a better future. Our hope is that our antiracist work not only supports those directly affected but also impacts actors who may not have ever identified with Black freedom struggles or the interconnectivity of oppressions. To challenge the borders of the College, we must ensure that our collective voices echo within the chambers of every person’s heart and mind in the Middlebury College community. It is not enough to fight for the seat at a table where we are unvalued and unwanted guests eating off the same oppressive, centuries-old menu. The time now is to create a stage where our histories cannot be disregarded, and where equity is the priority. |
Get Involved
We love community input and involvement with the various projects we are working on. We also love hearing about initiatives you may be working on and providing as much support as possible. If you want to get involved with CSM or to collaborate on a project, please let us know! We aim to be an organization that allows people to easily and accessibly interact with us and our campus community.
For inquiries regarding projects or initiatives we are taking on, please email us at [email protected]. |