Dear Douglass Community,
I write you today as individuals across our nation and the world are coming together to fight the pervasive existence of systemic racism and white supremacy that has plagued this country since its founding. As many of you are feeling, I am angry, grieving, and frustrated. I want you to please know that Douglass stands with Black communities and Black students around the country, we uplift voices that call out injustice, and we support those who are exercising their right to protest.
The ongoing targeting of the Black community is a contradiction of the very ideals that America is supposed to symbolize. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are the most recent examples of the devaluing of Black life that exists in the white supremacist consciousness of many Americans. In the coming days, weeks, and months, we will take time to honor the lives of George, Breonna, and Ahmaud, in addition to the lives of all those lost in racially motivated murders.
These acts of violence are not isolated incidents that occur occasionally. They are systematic, patterned, and embedded in the fabric of our country’s institutions and practices. Unfortunately, racism, microaggressions, conscious and unconscious bias, and other forms of discrimination are present in our own community as well. We must dedicate ourselves to bringing them to an end both on campus and out in the larger world.
The College will not let this moment pass. To Black Douglass students, please know that you have allies at the College. We commit ourselves to making your learning environments safe, honoring your identities, amplifying your voices, and addressing your concerns. We are looking critically at our own community, taking steps to increase training and communication on what it means to stand in solidarity and work as allies. We are also increasing our investment in the important work of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program at Douglass. You can expect to hear from the College over the next few weeks about opportunities to engage in this critical work. If you feel the need to talk to a professional about anything you may be experiencing, please reach out to Counseling and Psychological Services. You can also text STEVE to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for counseling services specific to students of color.
Douglass will continue to host programming that brings racial violence and other aspects of systemic inequality to light. This past fall we connected with and learned from the Mothers of the Movement, a group of Black mothers who lost their children to racially motivated violence. We thank them again for their wisdom and for sharing the legacies of their children. Their presence has had a lasting effect on all of us here at the College. Douglass Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ambassadors also worked together to examine racism and foster inclusivity on campus. In our Knowledge and Power courses, students and instructors continue to focus on issues of identity and intersectionality, offering a space for students to openly discuss critical topics and share lived experiences. Our College is not a place where these issues are swept under the rug. We will continue to start and encourage these conversations across our program offerings.
While listening is essential to dismantling oppression, it is not the responsibility of the Black community to carry the emotional labor of teaching and reminding their non-Black peers about the issues of racism. Thus, I call upon all non-Black students, faculty, and staff to commit themselves to sustained self-reflection, education, and action. It is hundreds of years past due for every person in this country to examine the racial privilege at work in their lives. If you are looking for a place to begin, I recommend White Fragility: Why it’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, a book the Douglass staff is already reading as part of a staff-wide diversity learning initiative. The College is working on a plan to offer access to this text to all students who are interested in participating in a forthcoming discussion group. We all have culpability in this situation and we all have a responsibility to be part of the solution.
At Douglass, we strive every day to act as allies to one another. We will not rest until all women have equal opportunity and access to education. We will not rest until all women can fully experience safety and freedom in public spaces. This mission is integral to the Douglass Difference.
Sincerely,
Dean Jacquelyn Litt, Ph.D.
Dean of Douglass and the Douglass Campus
douglass_dean@echo.rutgers.edu
Douglass Residential College
