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Standing in solidarity with our Black community

June 2, 2020

Dear USC Community,

Words do little to express how deeply we are saddened by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many others. With every step our community takes to address equity, diversity and inclusion, we still face inherent, unrecognized and unacceptable racism and anti-Blackness. Racism and anti-Blackness threaten all of us.

The Executive Board stands in solidarity with the Black community and will always take an explicitly anti-racist position in its role as the voice of the faculty at USC. We believe that anti-racist actions are essential to secure the mission and integrity of the University as we bear witness to continued violence directed towards the Black community.

Our efforts towards equity, diversity and inclusion are incomplete without eradicating the racism and anti-Blackness that are built into the systems and structures that oppress marginalized communities. As the Executive Board, we will advocate for hiring of more Black faculty, supporting anti-racist curriculum and pedagogy, and creating a safe and welcoming environment. While we work to develop our goals, approaches, and strategies to implement social and racial justice for all, we are eager to solicit input from our faculty colleagues, and to amplify and build upon existing efforts already underway.

The Executive Board