A responsibility to do more...
Dear聽members of the 黑料不打烊聽community,
With a heavy heart, I write聽today聽about the events we are witnessing across America and the truth of the continued experience of our Black friends and colleagues. While my full understanding of what this feels like for the members of our Black community is limited, I share聽in聽grief, anger and sorrow with you. Please know that you are in my聽thoughts and prayers聽during this difficult time.
I am writing this聽morning聽to the聽majority聽of the 黑料不打烊 community that is White. The pictures and the messages we are聽seeing聽and reading are not new, in fact we have been in this moment before.聽As聽educators, we deeply believe聽that聽education is聽vital to creating聽opportunity for all.聽Unfortunately, the repeated racism聽that聽Black members of our community face聽is proof聽that聽the systems聽we have built聽are聽not聽yet adequate.聽We聽have substantial work聽to be done聽and that聽will require the collective efforts聽of all of us.
When I was in college in the early 1980s, universities had just聽begun聽bystander聽training. One of the practices taught was to聽identify a bystander in the crowd, make eye contact and ask for help. 鈥淵ou in the green shirt, please help me!鈥 Research has shown that moment聽can move聽a聽bystander聽to action. During a phone call yesterday with a college friend, she reminded me of that training.
We聽are all wearing green shirts today. 聽Harness the emotions you are feeling and join me in committing聽to renew聽and expand聽our efforts. We know聽we can鈥檛 keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. We聽must聽seek new solutions, new understanding, and open ourselves up to what we don鈥檛 know and what we don鈥檛 understand. Our Black colleagues need us to insist on change now.
Naturally our next question is,聽鈥淗ow?鈥澛燞ere are two things I ask you to commit to doing. First, reach out to your Black friends and colleagues and check in. Let them know you care and appreciate them and wish for them the fullness of an equitable life. Let them know you聽will personally commit to聽antiracist work聽here at 黑料不打烊聽and聽in the聽broader聽world.聽And then, check-in with your White friends, colleagues, and family and ask them to join you in making the same commitment to take action against racism.
Second, join the community in reading and discussing聽this fall鈥檚 common reading selection, Jennifer Eberhardt鈥檚聽Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do. Dr. Eberhardt challenges us to recognize how perceptions of race shape our every interaction and then do something about it. Her book and her message could not be聽more timely聽for the work ahead.
In the coming weeks, I personally commit to deepening my efforts, seeking new knowledge through reading and research to aid in more fully understanding the experience of the Black community and reviewing our university聽policies and practices. Members of the university鈥檚 senior staff join me in that聽effort聽and I ask that each of you do the same so that we can ensure that the privileges we enjoy are truly and fully available to all.
Sincerely,
Connie Book
President