English: Dr. Chistopher Castillo, the Assistant Director of the Writing Resource Center at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law presents "Burning our Fingers: An Intersectional Grapple with the Steel Cage of Racism." The presentation uses the story of a racist encounter and its aftermath to draw attention to the racialized emotions that circulate in professional academic spaces (including writing programs, graduate programs, and departments) that must be addressed as part of anti-racist efforts. Highlighting both the harm done by what the speaker refers to as “racist fuck ups” and the habits of dialogue and self-reflection that make accountability possible in harm's aftermath, the speaker suggests that consistent attention to the emotional valence of racism and anti-racist work will better equip writing studies to confront its investments in institutional white supremacy.