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Message from Mercedes

Headshot of Mercedes Ramirez FernandezAcknowledging the lives and the work behind our long road to full equity, diversity, and inclusion is particularly poignant today as we celebrate Juneteenth, the day that marks African American freedom from centuries of slavery, over two years after the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation. June is also Pride month, and we stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ allies, friends, and loved ones as we celebrate this week’s milestone victory from the Supreme Court. In a 6–3 decision, the Court decided that sexual orientation and gender identity were included in the essential protections of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

But even while we recognize those milestones and successes, the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless others have galvanized diverse communities and turned up the volume on demands that we can’t afford to ignore. Centuries of systemic and structural racism have led to immeasurable tragedies and injustices. That same culturally embedded racism has too often left us without a voice to shout our protests or share our stories.

How many minds could be changed, how many hearts could be won, if we all took the time to really understand the lived realities of people who have been marginalized and oppressed?

But the call for real action and meaningful change is loud and clear. For too long, words and promises have fed the hopes of black and brown people and stifled our demands for action. Protests and demonstrations around the world have made our demands clear. We must choose action over endless deliberation.

If that action is going to last and make a difference in people’s lives, it needs to be shaped by information. Real information. The kind of information you find when you actively listen to people’s stories. That dialogue, those conversations, help us pursue solutions to the harsh realities of racism, bigotry, and discrimination.

Words have power. Words shape movements. Words matter.

Earlier this year, the Office of Equity and Inclusion embraced the power of words and our oral traditions with an initiative to make those conversations open, public, and transparent. In that time, we have discussed ways to ensure equity and inclusion in a pandemic, promoted health initiatives to fight health disparities, and delivered real-time information about how the University was responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Our most recent conversation celebrates former Students’ Association president Jamal Holtz ’20, who openly shared his experiences of moving home and finishing his last semester without the support and services he had on campus.

Those were not easy conversations, but they were essential to telling our stories and sharing important information beyond limited circles of access and privilege. We intend to do the same as we press for solutions and respond to the increased calls for diversity, equity, and inclusion that echo throughout our communities and University-wide. I hope you join us, and I welcome your thoughts, feedback, and contributions to the topics we will discuss.

In solidarity,

Mercedes Ramírez Fernández
Richard Feldman Vice President for Equity and Inclusion
Chief Diversity Officer

White Coats for Black Lives

On June 5, members of the Rochester community joined University of Rochester and URMC students, faculty, and staff in a White Coats for Black Lives demonstration to protest the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and to demand their voices be heard. Hundreds of attendees kneeled in silence to remember Mr. Floyd and all those lost to racism and police violence. A second demonstration was held in front of the School of Nursing on June 12.

Thoughts on Juneteenth

Headshot of Dr. Adrienne Morgan, PhDFor me, Juneteenth is a day of self-reflection. It’s a day to think about how far we have come as a nation and about the hard work we still need to do to address the lingering systematic racism and oppression Black people face after centuries of enslavement. Juneteenth has always recognized that freedom for Black people has been delayed. However, we are living during a national movement that empowers us as an institution and a nation to make meaningful and actionable change to address the inequities far too long experienced by Black communities.  

I have had the privilege of working at the University for almost 20 years. I have witnessed the institution on the precipice of making great change that would correct the discrimination and racism that is embedded into our policies, only to see it never realized because we became complacent or distracted by other things. Left in the wake are problematic hiring practices, longtime pay inequity, and unfair bias in the processes of promotion and tenure.

As a University, we made hollow excuses to justify our lack of progress. Now, I see promise that the institution is committed to making change, and that our leaders are actively listening with intent and purpose. Some of my optimism stems from new leadership with Sarah Mangelsdorf and Mercedes Ramírez Fernández. But it also stems from the bravery of our students and trainees who are speaking out and forcefully demanding change and accountability from University leadership. Their voices breathe new life into our quest for diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is my hope, my expectation, that our students, trainees, staff, and faculty continue to hold our leadership and institutional accountable. We have seen too many delays.

Adrienne Morgan, PhD
Associate Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

SCOTUS Decision Recognizes LGBTQ Protections

Pictured: Credit: Demetrius Freeman for The New York Times.

On June 15, the Supreme Court of the United States delivered its decision that sexual orientation and gender identity were included in the protections guaranteed by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
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