black lives matter protestors in masks
Credit: Julian Wan

A Message of Solidarity

We at Public Scholarship and Engagement are grappling with the anger, sadness, and trauma associated with the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other victims of anti-Black violence. We stand in solidarity with people coming together in streets around the world to protest these deaths and the ongoing violent racism so prevalent in our societies.

We must seize this moment to grieve with the Black community as they express their deep pain; to listen to Black activists who continue to demand action; to learn from Black scholars who have long exposed the roots of systemic injustice oppressing their people; to channel this grief, and energy and knowledge as we face our own biases and more intentionally address how we strive for greater equity, inclusion and justice in our programs, policies and practices. 

Public Scholarship and Engagement has a lot of work, we all do, but we will begin by:

  • examining our processes and practices to make sure they align closely with supporting marginalized scholars on our campus;
  • examining our communications strategies for inclusive practices and ensure equitable access to financial and scholarly resources;
  • seeking co-sponsors and partners that share a commitment to racial equity;
  • advocating for changes that improve the institutional culture at UC Davis for faculty and students of color.

Our goal of mutually beneficial community engagement and public impact cannot exist separately from greater equity, inclusion and justice. We are committed to this in the ways we engage communities and create access to university resources.

We are listening, we are learning, we are working to be better. We encourage others to join us.

Resources centered on racial equity and community engagement:

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