Dear Campus Community:

#ShutDownAcademia/#ShutDownSTEM/#Strike4BlackLives is a movement that is asking all members of the global academic community to stop doing “business as usual” on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, and to dedicate the day to educating ourselves about racism—especially in higher education—and to make a commitment to action and healing.  I want to encourage each of you to participate.

As an institution of higher education, we must be part of this conversation.  In order to move toward the future we envision for ourselves, we must continually seek greater understanding of the ways in which racism, bias, and privilege are embedded into the academic experience.  And we must be leaders of change. 

Most important, members of our community are in pain.  We have an opportunity and an obligation to understand better how our actions and beliefs have contributed to that pain, and to take action to support one another.  For those who are hurting, this initiative encourages you to create space to focus on your needs, and to learn about resources to support your well-being.

I hope tomorrow we can dedicate ourselves as a community to focus on education, action, and healing.

To learn more about this initiative and how you can participate, please visit: https://www.shutdownstem.com/.

Montse Fuentes

Executive Vice President and Provost