Dear UConn Health family,

On August 28 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C,. in front of 250,000 black and white people and delivered a speech titled “I Have a Dream.” He spoke of African Americans never being satisfied as long as they are “the victims of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality” and he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

This weekend as I drove my two teenage daughters to the peaceful New Haven protest, I looked at their beautiful brown faces in the rearview mirror, listened to their passionate words, and like many African American parents I felt the dissatisfaction, anxiety, and disappointment of that as of yet incompletely fulfilled dream.

The brutal death of George Floyd as well as being a personal tragedy for himself, and his loved ones, is a watershed event that has forced us as a nation to confront the uncomfortable truth that some people still reject one of our country’s key founding principles: “We hold this truth to be self-evident that all men are created equal.”

Here at UConn Health and the University of Connecticut, I know we do believe deeply in that foundational principle. We are not perfect but we continually strive. It is why so many of you from all walks of life have expressed your outrage and your commitment to ensuring that in our microcosm of the country everyone no matter the color of his or her skin, or any other attribute, will be treated as an equal human being deserving of dignity, respect, and justice. I am proud to be a part of a community that upholds these ideals.

Because of the depth of emotion surrounding this brutal event and its aftermath, families across the country are discussing and trying to make sense of what occurred. I believe that we as the UConn Health family would benefit from the opportunity to do the same.

As such I will be conducting a UConn Health virtual town hall discussion on Friday for anyone that would like to attend. Please see the details below. Stay safe and I look forward to the discussion.

Regards,

Andy

Andrew Agwunobi, M.D., M.B.A.
Chief Executive Officer, UConn Health
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs

Event: Dr. Andy Virtual Town Hall
Event address for attendees: https://uchc.webex.com/uchc/onstage/g.php?MTID=e0fd6d7ac765fa05f22b1924168afe548
Event password:

Date and time:
uconn2020

Friday, June 5 at 12 noon

US Toll
+1-415-655-0003
Show all global call-in numbers
Access code: 120 392 1866

If you have any questions, please forward them to thquestion@uchc.edu in advance of the call. Questions will also be accepted during the call via the WebEx or the email above.

A message from the Directors of
the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
&
Human Rights Institute

Black lives matter. We share the grief, sadness, and anger at the loss of George Floyd, whose murder follows so closely on that of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others. Each of their lives, like each and every Black life in our community and around the world, is unique, beautiful, and irreplaceable, and deserving of respect and dignity. The great and abiding shame of our nation is our inability to acknowledge, confront, and redress the legacy of white supremacy and the failure of our institutions, particularly our law enforcement institutions, to respect the human rights of black and brown people.

Black lives matter. We join the demands of protesters in Minneapolis, Louisville, and across the country for real justice, including holding to account the perpetrators of these horrific murders and the dismantling of broader systems of oppression. Beyond the individuals at whose hands George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery lost their lives, we recognize the culpability of police departments and other law enforcement institutions that have too often pursued policies and practices that all but ensure black communities will be exposed to brutality and violence. Finally, we join demands for accountability for the leaders, including the President of the United States, who have sought to augment their own power by exploiting racist resentment and deepening black suffering.

Black lives matter. Achieving justice is not simply a matter of arrests, prosecutions, and convictions of the murders, but rather will require concerted and coordinated efforts to build a broader culture of human rights. This work, which the protesters around the country have been courageous in taking up, is our responsibility as well. We, the directors of programs dedicated to human rights, join our colleagues at the University of Connecticut, including those in Africana Studies, our fellow interdisciplinary centers, institutes, and programs, and the President and Provost, in affirming our commitment to making the struggle against racism central to our work in building an equitable and just UConn and society. We invite you to join the African American Cultural Center as they host an online Town Hall on the Covid-19 Pandemic and Racism in the African American Community at 6pm on Thursday, June 4. Likewise, we invite you to join the Racial Profiling Prohibition Project and stakeholders from across the state for Truth & Reconciliation: A Conversation about Race and Policing at 11am on Friday, June 5. Finally, we invite you to join us in the coming months as we commit to striving to be anti-racist in our teaching, scholarship, and work with communities.

Black lives matter. White supremacy, and the violence that is necessary to its maintenance, is our shared legacy, and has woven a dark thread of racism into the fabric of our society and institutions, including our institutions of higher education. Such legacy does not need to be our destiny, however, and we are committed to the slow, painful, deliberate work of untying the knotted history of racist injustice and reknitting our communities together in justice.

In sorrow, solidarity, and hope,

Glenn Mitoma
Director, Thomas J. Dodd Research Center

Kathy Libal
Director, Human Rights Institute

Sent on behalf of Dean Kersaint:

Dear Colleagues,

As an African American woman and as the dean of the Neag School, I’ve been thinking about what I might say to the Neag School community at this time. I am struggling, so I decided to follow the advice that I often give to those with whom I work closely: Take care of yourself first, then family, then all else. I took some time for self-care. I needed time to catch my breath.

Last week, I shared a recent article — “Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay — Chances Are They’re Not” — with UConn’s other School/College deans, as well as with members of the Neag School leadership team because I believe it captured the sentiments of many Blacks. The email I sent was accompanied with the following passage: “It is not my intent to start a conversation as I want to provide each of you an option of reflecting on this independently and privately, if that is your preference. Also, I do not expect to receive any responses.” When I wrote this, I truly believed that I was doing this for the benefit of the recipients. Reflecting on this now, I recognize that it was actually a protective armor — I was not prepared to, and didn’t want to, process this with anyone else. I was not (and am not yet) prepared to help others feel better about this. I think we all need to sit with this for a while.

Despite this, I continued to think about my role as the dean of the Neag School. What can I say about the Amy Cooper video, which impacted me in ways that the George Floyd video did not? Don’t get me wrong, I did (and continue to) react viscerally to the unnecessary murder of Black men. To me, as a Black woman, he is one more in a long list of senseless deaths, among them Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Trayvon Martin, Rekia Boyd, Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Sam Dubose, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Terrance Crutcher, Stephon Clark, Bothan Jean, Atiatan Jefferson, Ahmaud Arbery, or Breonna Taylor. In addition, I know of similar situations from my personal experiences as well as from experiences recounted by family members and Black individuals within my friendship and professional circles. Many of these encounters did not benefit from a recording. The reason the Amy Cooper video impacted me is because it demonstrates clearly how race can be intentionally weaponized. It showed clearly the calculation behind as well as the tacit understanding of what the phrase “American Americans” engenders in others. This may be the first video that confirms what many people of color have had difficulty explaining to others. This happens in public and professional spaces. I encourage each of you to view that video, which does not involve death or violence. Reflect on and consider the ways in which such assumptions may have manifested in your own personal or professional experiences.

I admit that when I learned the Provost was to write a message for the UConn community about the recent incidences, I thought to myself: “Great, I am off the hook.” His statement is powerful and does, in fact, capture my sentiments. But I am not “off the hook.” Neither are you. Such statements do not address these ills. They change very little. If we, in the Neag School, are committed to our mission, “to improve educational and social systems to be more effective, equitable, and just for all,” then we must take actions to demonstrate this in all that we do. The words are meaningless if we do nothing. This is also true for the value and principle statements we are in the process of adopting. We must hold ourselves and one another accountable. Moreover, we must consider how we are instilling these ideals in the students we prepare.

Given all of this, I ask the following of you:

Acknowledge the impact of inequities on people of color and consider how your actions (or lack thereof) may reproduce them. Then, commit to do and be different. If you see something, say something. Do not wait for or rely on those who are the most vulnerable and most affected to also be the ones to address the inequities that you observe.
If you are not familiar with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, please commit to learning more. UConn has recently hired a Chief Diversity Officer and we (the Neag School) are developing a Diversity and Inclusion Plan. Become familiar with the Neag School plan and actively contribute to its success once it is formally adopted.
Think about your courses/programs; do they prepare students to recognize, acknowledge, and address inequities as professionals? If not, are students provided such opportunities elsewhere? You need not be a diversity scholar. I am not a diversity scholar. However, we can all learn. If this cannot be embedded as part of the curriculum or program, encourage students to engage in extracurricular learning opportunities about diversity and inclusion so that they are better prepared “to improve educational and social systems to be more effective, equitable, and just for all.”
If you haven’t done so, please read the draft proposal of the Socially and Educational Transformative Engagement and Research (SETER) Alliance, a research/practice partnership we have proposed with the Connecticut State Department of Education and the state’s Alliance School districts. Alliance School districts represent the 33 lowest-performing school districts in Connecticut and 42% of Connecticut’s public school student population, including 63% of students of color, 65% of low-income students, and 76% of English Learners. This joint effort is one avenue through which we hope to challenge educational issues collaboratively and systematically.
Given the additional health and educational disparities that disproportionately affect people of color as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, I encourage you as scholars to collaboratively generate and make accessible a list of research questions related to educational and other outcomes borne out of the pandemic as a resource for other scholars, including graduate students. The availability of such of a list will permit them to consider and potentially initiate new lines of inquiry to address them. It is only when interdisciplinary group of scholars examine consequential issues from a multiplicity of perspectives that we provide the insights needed to address them.
In sum, I encourage all members of the Neag School to take an active role in combatting inequities. Your heartfelt support is appreciated, but your active engagement is preferred.

Respectfully shared,

GK

Dear UConn Nation,

The last several months have been wrought with disappointment and disruption due in large part to the scale and severity of a public health crisis that our country, and the world, have not experienced in a century. Disappointment and disruption have more recently transformed into exasperation and distress after the more recent, all too frequent and historical, tragedies regarding the violent actions targeting Black Americans.

The stunning incident in Minnesota which led to George Floyd’s death, as well as other similar killings including Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, have intensified exasperation and distress for many members of our community. We must not look the other way as it relates to the horror of these sickening events. Instead, it is imperative that we condemn these atrocities.

UConn athletics is committed to fostering an inclusive environment, and it is our responsibility to bring these words to life within our department and our campus community.

Moreover, we must recognize that these recent events have fueled an unhealthy pattern of hate-mongering that has become all too pervasive in our society. We have to speak out against racism and injustice, and promote compassion, tolerance and understanding. We must stand up to the ongoing hostility which threatens the ideals of humanity. Making the world a better place starts with caring for and empathizing with others.

All my best to you and your family.

David Benedict

UConn Athletics Director

Student Activities stands with our black/African-American students and black community every day and we want to reaffirm that commitment today. We recognize that for some, simply existing is a challenge. We want you to know that YOU MATTER – your being, words, actions, hard work, dedication, and commitment to equity and justice. If you are an ally, remember: listen to those who are being directly affected; speak up when you witness racism or injustice happening; and share/spread the messages of the black community.

Staff in the Department of Student Activities and the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Development recognize the role and responsibility we have as educators, and as members of our communities. We will continue to do our best to model respectful, welcoming, anti-racist, and inclusive behavior; to acknowledge our individual privileges and the differences between us; and to offer programs and services that will invite and challenge our students to come along with us in our journey to understand and effectively address the roots of ignorance, hatred and violence. Lastly, we ask that our colleagues and students hold us accountable in this work. We welcome feedback and suggestions as to how we can best support and serve you.”

Dear UConn Community,

Recent events have called national attention yet again to the destructive power of prejudice and racism. The death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis serves as our most recent example. We are disgusted by the images we have seen capturing the unconscionable acts that caused his death. Demonstrations across the country make clear that communities are hurting and frustrated by repeated acts of violence against their neighbors, friends, and families. These events have saddened and angered so many on a deeply personal level, with the burden of fear for one’s own and their family’s safety placed squarely upon African-Americans.

Unfortunately, this is just one of many examples of the pain caused by systemic injustices that are present every day. Take, for example, the disproportionate rates of death by COVID-19 among African-American, Latinx, and Indigenous peoples, or the discriminatory acts targeting individuals of Asian descent and foreign nationals from many countries in this pandemic. This adds to the already vulnerable experience of so many in our community, including but not limited to DACA students who are unsure about their future; individuals with disabilities who can feel invisible; LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing verbal and physical acts of violence; individuals subjected to intolerance based on their religious identity and beliefs; and people of color who are forced to constantly question if they can engage safely in routine activities like jogging or bird watching.

These events underscore the critical importance of our infusing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in everything we do every single day. Not with mantra and platitudes, but with clearly articulated and tangible action that is supported by the University with budget and action. As scholars, educators, and colleagues, we are uniquely positioned to reflect, learn, and act.

We are committed to this work as UConn moves forward from some of its own recent struggles. We have a crucial new partner in these efforts with the recent hire of Dr. Frank Tuitt as our new Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. We are all eager to work with him to sustain a culture that understands, respects, and appreciates differences, but also one that readily acknowledges our shortcomings and holds ourselves accountable for measurable progress at all times.

As he looks ahead to this new role, Frank shared the following: “I strongly believe that institutions like UConn should be at the center of creating spaces for students, faculty, and staff to imagine and invent ways to build more inclusive, affirming, and equitable institutions, organizations, and communities, and I look forward to doing my part to contribute to that collective effort.”

We have communicated closely with him over the past several days, and we all will benefit from his leadership and expertise.

We have the opportunity to engage our entire community in the work that is needed, building upon continued advocacy and efforts of concerned faculty, staff, and administrators at UConn in collaboration with our cultural centers and our amazing undergraduate and graduate students who are willing to speak clearly and directly about their experiences. Change cannot be carried out by one person or one office alone. Too often the labor of this work is disproportionately undertaken by our most vulnerable, impacting their career progression, as well as their mental health and overall satisfaction with their work experience. This is a time when we can build momentum to share the responsibility across our entire community at our Storrs, UConn Health, Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury, and law school campuses.

We also have been extremely fortunate to benefit from the stewardship of Interim Chief Diversity Officer Dana Wilder. Building on strengths of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion, we are positioned as a national leader and a place where people of all identities feel they have a genuine opportunity for success and belonging. We encourage each of you to explore their website, which includes multiple resources including trainings and guides as well as information on events and cultural centers sponsored by their office.

There are no simple solutions or easy answers to solve the issues of injustice and prejudice in society and at our University. Of all of the various parts of our experience as administrators, this is the one area where we both feel like we have not done enough or met our own expectations. We do not experience that feeling as despair, but instead as a motivator to understand and accept our own privilege and the responsibilities that it brings to do more. We encourage our community to hold our entire leadership team accountable as we carry out that vital work together.

The challenge now is to remember this moment even if it fades from the headlines and to continue to strive for a society and a UConn that allows all to live safely and welcomed.

Sincerely,
Tom and Carl

Tom Katsouleas
President

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

From the Asian American Cultural Center, African American Cultural Center, Rainbow Center, Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center, Women’s Center, Asian and Asian American Studies Institute, El Instituto, Africana Studies Institute, Human Rights Institute, Dodd Center, Center for Judaic Studies, Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, American Studies Program, International Student & Scholar Services, and Office for Diversity and Inclusion

As the concerns about the COVID-19 virus rapidly increase on a daily basis, we want to acknowledge how this pandemic is impacting members of our community differently.

There has been a rise of incidents of anti-Asian racism in our local community, our state, our nation and worldwide. Asian and Asian Americans have been subjected to verbal and physical attacks, cyberbullying, discrimination against their businesses, and xenophobic portrayals. We would like to firmly state that such acts of hate will not be tolerated in our community. Such acts only further perpetuate the cycle of violence and fuel white supremacy. We encourage those who have experienced bias of any kind to report the incidents at https://dos.uconn.edu/bias-reporting/
Going home is not safe for everyone. For some family, partners, and/or guardians may be abusive. For support around gender-based violence, please visit the Title IX website at https://titleix.uconn.edu/
Going home is not an option for everyone. Many of our International students are facing travel restrictions that preclude them from leaving and/or returning to the US. We encourage you to participate in the University’s Town Hall on April 14th to share your concerns and suggestions.
We would like to acknowledge that many folx may be isolated from supportive networks during this time of physical distancing. For many LGBTQIA+ students, returning home may have required concealing one’s true identity in order to survive in a space with family members/others who are not affirming/safe. Connecting to positive resources, people, organizations, and leaders at this time can be helpful. Visit the Cultural Centers’ websites to learn about the different opportunities for support available to you.
As the concerns about the COVID-19 virus keeps rapidly changing, more and more anti-immigrant sentiment keeps also growing. Unfortunately, a political narrative of a “foreign threat” has accompanied information about the spread of the virus. This anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic speech is wrong and dangerous. The political environment of the pandemic has given rise to hateful conspiracy theories and disinformation meant to scapegoat Asians and Jews, along with Israel and China internationally. We stand in solidarity with our international students, our Asian American students, our undocumented and DACAmented students. In particular, we acknowledge our undocumented and DACAmented students who continue to face the threat of deportation while negotiating the constraints of the pandemic. As if these conditions were not difficult enough, the Supreme Court is poised to rule on the DACA case in the upcoming months, putting additional strain on our DACAmented friends, peers, and family members.
Additionally reports can be made to the following websites:

OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates – Hate Incident Reporting
Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council – Stop AAPI Hate
Southern Law Poverty Center Reporting
Students have shared with us how vulnerable and targeted they are feeling. We are aware that many of our students are facing unemployment, limited access to health care, and other hardships. We also understand that these experiences, coupled with isolation, may manifest in mental health related concerns as well.

We would like you all to know that you do not need to navigate these difficult times alone and that we will stand and work with you to get through this together. If you find yourself feeling disconnected or not supported in your current living arrangements, please reach out to us.

You all are citizens of UConnNation, and in this nation, we do not discriminate, we do not use a narrative of hate, we are citizens that stand in solidarity with one another. Now is the time for us to be safe, be compassionate and empathetic towards each other, particularly those who have been affected by the COVID-19 virus and be engaged citizens. We would like to remind each and every individual that they are valued and needed in this world.

The Cultural Centers staff are available to discuss any COVID-19 concerns you may have.

Asian American Cultural Center Website
African American Cultural Center Website
Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center Website
Rainbow Center Website
Women’s Center Website
On-campus resources and updated information about the COVID-19 virus, can be found at https://uconn.edu/public-notification/coronavirus/.

Dear Friends,

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a devastating loss of life across the globe and in our state. It has caused unparalleled disruption and alarm to people everywhere. Here in Connecticut, it has sickened people, closed businesses, and forced UConn to move all of our classes online for the duration of the spring 2020 semester.

And while none of us has been left unaffected by the pandemic, it has fallen especially hard on our international students, a number of whom have remained on the Storrs campus and elsewhere in the state, and who, like many others, are unable to return home and are worried about family and friends thousands of miles away.

It is for this reason that I am inviting all of our international students to join me and others for a special “virtual” town hall meeting, convened by the Office of Global Affairs, on Tuesday, April 14 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

I want you to know how deeply we care for you, and we want to hear from our international student population directly about your experiences and how you are holding up. This will also be an opportunity to ask any questions you have about the University’s response to the pandemic and what resources are available to you.

As we get closer to that date, information on how to participate will be sent to you. In the meantime, please send any questions or comments that you would like to see addressed during the town hall to communications@uconn.edu.

There is one topic that may come up that I want to address here. I have been deeply disturbed by reports from around the country of harassment and threats directed against Asian Americans and Asian visitors to the U.S. in the wake of the pandemic, and against people from China in particular. That this is amplified rather than quelled by reckless rhetoric from some prominent public leaders is even more upsetting.

UConn has a long tradition of standing against exactly this sort of ignorance. During World War II, this was the only university in Connecticut that enrolled Japanese American students, at a time when that community was being shamefully forced into internment camps.

We stood by our students then, and we stand by our students now. Bigotry of any kind has no place in a free society, and certainly not in a community rooted in scholarship and learning. We will treat any reports of mistreatment of members of our community with the utmost gravity.

Regardless where our students come from, UConn will always be your home. That’s why I hope you’ll join me, along with my colleagues from Global Affairs, Enrollment and Student Affairs, at the virtual town hall dedicated to your questions and concerns. You are an essential part of our community, and we want you to feel safe and valued here, in your home away from home.

Warm Regards,

Tom

Thomas Katsouleas

President

University of Connecticut