ODEI joins in the collective outrage over the unjustifiable killings of African Americans and people of color, most recently in the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Social injustices and the impact of systemic racism weighs heavy and takes a toll on us mentally and physically. The immediate question is how we at the university respond when our campus community is experiencing feelings of anger, hurt, grief, and fear…I believe that the first step is acknowledgement and affirmation of those experiences and to provide the space to do so.

I was reminded of a post that stated “When HATE is loud, LOVE must not be silent.” To this end, ODEI has created the UMSL CommUNITY Conversation Series, to provide virtual and in-person forums for continued dialogues. The first event-“Virtual Gathering for Racial Unity” is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, 2020 from 12:00 pm-1:30 pm. The facilitated panel discussion will allow individuals to come together in order to process, share and listen.

ODEI is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice and action. ODEI partners with individuals, offices, and departments across campus to collaborate on diversity and inclusion initiatives. Additionally, we are providing virtual opportunities for faculty and staff to engage and learn throughout the summer and will continue to expand our curriculum to be responsive to our current context. We also have developed a robust set of resources to facilitate learning and awareness about self and others; to help individuals and departments have conversations about race; and to increase understanding and usage of inclusive language. As new content and learning opportunities develop, we will share them in our new (soon to be launch) blog.

Each of us has a passion and a purpose. I encourage you to ask what you can do individually and collectively to help our community.

Sincerely,

Tanisha

Dr. Tanisha Stevens
Interim Director, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion