School of Global Integrative Studies Statement of Solidarity and Commitment to Anti-Racist Action
June 4, 2020
The School of Global Integrative Studies stands in solidarity with our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, faculty, staff, and communities during the recent protests that have engulfed our nation. We are heartbroken and angry over the latest incidents of police brutality and systemic racism that has led to the deaths of so many including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and in Omaha, James Scurlock. Racist violence, especially at the hands of police and military forces, has a long history in our country and throughout the world. We write in support of our Black students, faculty, and staff and speak against the daily micro and macro-aggressions they face due to anti-Black racism. Moreover, we support the movement across the country, including Nebraska, which demands justice, accountability, and most of all, change. Finally, we encourage everyone to listen to these voices and enact meaningful, evidence-based changes in our justice system, as well as society at large.
As part of an institution of higher learning, our interdisciplinary lens demands we listen, bear witness, and attempt to understand the unabated racism and other forms of oppression that are systemic in our country. We interrogate the nuances of global systems of oppression, including racism, in our classrooms, public events, and research. However, we acknowledge this is not enough. We must actively increase our awareness of how these systems of oppression and privilege affect ourselves and others and work to dismantle them.
We encourage everyone to join us in listening and learning, by consulting resources, such as the ones below, and then taking the necessary steps to create a community where all people receive the dignity and safety they deserve.