Message from the Dean for Diversity
As we enter the last stage of what is now the voting season in the US, we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the power our democracy, and those around the world, can give to people whose voices might otherwise not be heard. We are not by any means a perfect country, yet the promise embedded in the Constitution and Bill of Rights drives Americans to seek that more perfect union envisioned by our founders and expressed by activists and social justice warriors throughout our history, up to and including today. It also drives people from across the globe to want to live, learn, work and raise their families here.
Neither is the University of Rochester a perfect educational community, yet students, staff and faculty from the US and around the globe, seek a haven here in which they can learn, discover, heal and create, in an environment undergirded by our Meliora Values.
Many members of our community, both within and without the University, come from countries, regions, and home environments that are ravaged by violence, and oppression of many kinds, including those based on economics, race, sex, gender, politics and religion, among others. In recent weeks, many parts of the globe have been marred by horrific expressions of anti-democracy. These include the murders of multiple children in Cameroon, post-election violence in Guinea, police abuse of protesters leading to many deaths in Nigeria, and the murder of at least one environmental activist in South Africa. In Europe, Armenia and Azerbaijan have accused each other of truce violations in a violent set of clashes that have taken several thousand lives. Other events of violence are occurring across the world, in addition to the deep impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that has taken lives across the globe.
As a University that brings together students, faculty and staff from all corners of the world, these events impact us all, but they have a specific and visceral impact on those members of our community who come from those regions. Some of our students have not been able to contact their families. Others have family and friends who have been killed. We stand in support of all members of our community, and ask that those not directly impacted understand the interconnectedness of us all.
As we exercise our constitutional right to vote—the very embodiment of a democratic country, we are reminded of the importance of love and care for our fellow community members, the importance of speech and dissent, and the necessity for all of us to speak our truths to people who listen with compassion.
Beth Olivares, PhD
Dean for Diversity
Faculty Development and Diversity Officer
Director, David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity
University of Rochester