Our team’s actions to support antiracism
Black lives matter. We stand with those demanding and pursuing change in the face of ongoing violence against Black people. We stand with those demanding and pursuing change in the face of structural inequities that manifest in the systematic oppression of Black, Indigenous and People of Color in the United States. We mourn for these individuals, for their families and friends, for our communities and for our country.
Amidst this grief, we continue to believe in the power of collaboration and reflection to enact long-term change. Here’s what we as a team are doing in the coming weeks:
- We will participate in the university-wide reading of and discussions about Ibram X. Kendi’s How to be an Antiracist.
- We will participate in the series of community conversations about race and racism launched by Cornell’s Office of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity.
- We will review our funding processes and participatory programs to support faculty, staff, students and community partners in their efforts to move towards antiracism and improve the opportunities for community-engaged learning in this area.
- We will interrogate our community-engaged learning values through an anti-racist lens.
- We will encourage partners and applicants to integrate antiracism into community-engaged learning proposals, to advance the educational environment for every Cornell student and to create more just communities.
During the past two weeks, we have seen individuals and institutions working together and starting difficult conversations confronting racism with a new and renewed commitment to healing and strengthening our communities. There is hope. There’s also a lot more work to be done, and we’re committed to contributing to it.
The Office of Engagement Initiatives