In response to last week's hate-based incidents
A follow-up to our previous posts
Early last week, we shared a post responding to an incident of hate and bias toward a Muslim student on our campus by reaffirming our value and commitment of radical love and belonging. Friday, we were working quickly to speak out against yet another incident of hate and bias on our campus, only to find out that we did not have the full story. Not only did the incident include anti-Black slurs, but also a targeted verbal attack on a Black student, and comments referencing LGBTQ+ populations during a hacked zoom meeting. To be clear: these are examples of hate that do not belong on our campus.
In 2019, The Mosaic Center staff worked with campus community members to co-create a set of institutional commitments, one of them being “to intentionally disrupt systemic supremacy and supremacist behavior ….” Over the past week, we have been reminded of why these aspirations and commitments remain vital. As a community grounded in inclusive excellence, hate of any kind - in behavior, practice, or language - does not belong here. Hatred of another, simply because they are different is rooted in supremacist ideology, and not in cultural humility.
We stand in solidarity with all of our students, staff, and faculty at UMBC who live at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities. Continue to show up unapologetically in the fullness of your humanity. We see you. You belong here. You make UMBC complete.
Students in need of support can contact us at i3b@umbc.edu. Students in need of community can always find us in the Mosaic Center (2B23 Commons), the Pride Center (201D University Center) and the Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being (103 Center for Well-Being). Community members, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni, who experience discrimination or harassment of any kind can report concerns using this confidential reporting form.
We hope this upcoming break you can take the opportunity to find rest and rejuvenation. We also hope you pause in reflection on the things you are grateful for, along with the challenging history of Thanksgiving in the U.S. and the ongoing impact of oppression on Native communities. We offer this reminder that our existence is resistance and that “self-care is an act of political warfare” (Audre Lorde). We know that navigating daily instances of and impacts from various forms of oppression, can take a toll on one’s body, mind, and heart. We wish you all peace and rest in the break ahead.
Posted: November 23, 2021, 11:54 AM
