Responding to Racism

The following message was sent by School of Government Dean Mike Smith to employees and students the week of June 1, 2020.

Hello Friends,

I reflected briefly in our Town Hall on Monday about the killing of Mr. George Floyd, the unarmed Black man who was killed in police custody. As everyone knows by now, a police officer held Mr. Floyd on the ground by placing his knee on his neck. He continued even after Mr. Floyd said he couldn’t breathe, and even after he was no longer breathing. Other officers helped hold him on the ground, and not a single one of them intervened to prevent his death.

Words cannot fully capture how horrifying it was to watch that video. I cannot even begin to imagine how it must feel if you are a Black person who has experienced racism throughout your life. Or if you are the parent of a Black child, especially a young Black man. My heart goes out to everyone who is saddened, outraged, afraid, and angry over the killing of Mr. Floyd. I have been incredibly angry over the last week. I haven’t written anything before now because I didn’t want it to be about me, and my anger felt incredibly self-centered.

This recent tragedy flows from systemic racism and violence that is deeply rooted in our history. Mr. Floyd is the latest in a long line of Black men, and women, who have been killed because they were Black. It is a shameful part of our country’s past and present. How do we move from feelings of pain and inadequacy to constructive action? People have been asking that question a lot over the last few days. I have been asking that question. There are no easy answers for addressing problems of structural racism that is a longstanding part of our cultural experience. That doesn’t mean we can do nothing.

As I said on Monday, one thing we can do now is take care of one another. I have been proud to see how we have supported one another throughout the COVID-19 crisis, and we need to continue supporting one another as we struggle with Mr. Floyd’s death and the aftermath that is sweeping the country. Even while many of us are apart, I hope you will take some time to check in on each other. This week the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion has offered a space on their website for #YourVoiceMatters, where you may share your thoughts, perspectives, and feelings anonymously. They have also put together a list of anti-racism resources that I encourage you to explore. Please always remember that the Employee Assistance Program is available for faculty and staff.

We will schedule a Zoom opportunity for anyone who wishes to come together and share their thoughts and feelings. I’m not assuming that everyone wants that option, and people may not be comfortable doing it. Every person processes these things in different ways. We will make the opportunity available for those who wish to come together. You will hear more about this shortly.

I also want to explore how we take action to better educate ourselves about issues around racism. We are in the process of creating a new Committee for an Inclusive Workplace, and it seems like we should do something soon before we conduct a comprehensive needs assessment around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Many on our campus have received training from the Racial Equity Institute, and Chancellor Guskiewicz today encouraged campus leaders to go through that training. I’d like to explore offering that training for everyone at the School as soon as possible, which could inform our future work on inclusive excellence.

I have no special expertise in this area. I do believe that progress is possible. I believe that if we take one positive step it will lead to other positive steps. I also firmly believe that we will make progress if we continue working together as One School. Please take care of yourself and each other.

Mike