At the heart of the Academic Zoo stood a large elephant named Equity. She was impossible to miss, her grey bulk filling the central courtyard. Yet, most of the animals pretended she wasn’t there.
The lions roared about their achievements, the peacocks flaunted their feathers, and the zookeepers focused on maintaining the status quo. Meanwhile, Equity trumpeted loudly, pointing out the cracks in the enclosures, the uneven food distribution, and the barriers that kept smaller animals from thriving. “Why does she keep disrupting the harmony?” muttered the peacocks. “If we ignore her, she’ll go away,” said the lions.
But the smaller animals – the ants, frogs, and sparrows – began to listen. They repeated Equity’s warning in their songs and whispers, spreading her message across the zoo. The beavers carved her words into their dams, and even the tortoise carried them on her back. Eventually, the zookeepers could no longer ignore the elephant. They realised that Equity wasn’t disrupting the harmony – she was the key to creating it.
Moral – acknowledging and addressing systemic inequities is essential to building a truly inclusive academic environment.
How heard and acknowledged do you feel you are in academia?
What are your strategies for fostering equity in your institution?
Christa & Anne-Wil
