Purpose: The purpose of this survey is to assess the needs of those affiliated with the LMMI and solicit feedback on how best to serve members in terms of equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and decolonization practices (EDI). The survey has been compiled by LMMI’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee.
Some Background: In 2020, the LMMI made a Statement on Racial Injustice where it acknowledged how L.M. Montgomery’s work requires scholars to look deeper into issues of colonialism, systemic racism, and intolerance:
“The L.M. Montgomery Institute (LMMI) supports the recent statement made by the University of Prince Edward Island and stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and those fighting against systemic racism in Canada and the United States. Montgomery’s books, short stories, poetry, essays, and life writing inspire serious scholarly work and have inspired many around the world who have been persecuted and disenfranchised. However, her work also requires us to look deeper into issues of colonialism, systemic racism, and intolerance. The LMMI is taking steps to educate ourselves, and are committed to learning from, and working with, BIPOC scholars, authors, and readers, and reflecting that active engagement in our biennial conferences, the Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies, and in our community outreach and projects” (https://lmmontgomery.ca/node/1190).”
As part of these efforts, the L.M. Montgomery Institute’s BIPOC Resource List was compiled for the L.M. Montgomery 2020 Vision Forum by Melanie J. Fishbane and the LMMI Anti-Racist Working Group. From the working group, the LMMI’s EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Subcommittee was formed. Members at present are co-chairs Melanie Fishbane and Jean Mitchell, and Poushali Bhadury, Sarah Freeburn, Alyssa Gillespie, Alan MacEachern, and Laura Robinson.
At the LMMI’s recent “L.M. Montgomery and Re-Vision” conference, the subcommittee organized a workshop with PEI’s Poet Laureate, Julie Pellissier-Lush from the Mi’kmaq Confederacy and a roundtable discussion with Montgomery scholars on how best to see Montgomery Studies through an EDI lens.
Examining these questions through Equity, Diversity and Inclusion means not only exploring how scholarship can examine Montgomery’s books through a more diverse lens, but also taking an opportunity to ask questions around how our community has been inclusive and what we can do to be better. EDI is also about how we can continue to examine issues through the lens of class, race, gender, religion, sexuality, and ableism, among many other factors.
The major goals of the survey are:
- To assess the EDI needs of our members
- To shape plans on how to improve current conditions
- To assess how we can create and implement greater awareness and provide resources around EDI during our Biennial Conferences and other events/activities
The information gathered here will be used to plan our next steps in creating the most welcoming and inclusive community possible among Montgomery scholars and aid in providing support to members hailing from historically excluded and systemically marginalized groups.
Why should you complete the survey? Without your participation in the survey, we won't have information to identify areas within the LMMI that may need improvement. This includes strategizing how to provide better accessibility and equity for future conference planning, to arrange EDI training workshops for our members, and to provide direct support and develop resources for members from marginalized communities more generally. Thank you for sharing this information with us.
Is this survey anonymous? Yes, the survey responses are fully-anonymized before being made available to members of the LMMI’s board and its EDI committee.
Please complete the survey by Friday, 30 September, 2022.
This survey will take around 15 minutes or so to complete and consists of 11 short questions. It is available at https://forms.gle/sw8bLHzgM62a4Hez9.
Thank you,
LMMI EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Subcommittee