Engage and Reflect on Diversity in January 2021

To the Rutgers Community:

Creating an inclusive community begins by recognizing when members of our community may be in distress—distress from the transition to college, isolation due to the ongoing pandemic, and feelings of helplessness and vulnerability. The ongoing racial reckoning coupled with the violent insurrection last week has highlighted that for many the cost of awareness, to quote James Baldwin, “is to be in a state of rage almost all of the time.”

Collectively we cannot turn away, we must commit to actively building a beloved community that embodies, reflects, and respects the complexities of all our parts. One that places an affirmative emphasis on describing who we want to be and putting into place resources and programming that help us work together to become the community of our aspirations.

To that end, as we begin this new semester, I want to make sure you are aware of some of the many ways you can be engaged in the coming weeks.

The Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Center at Rutgers–Newark will host the National Day of Racial Healing 2021 on Tuesday, January 19, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. (register here). The event will be a full day of virtual activities and events for faculty, staff, students, residents, and organizations in Newark and throughout the state of New Jersey highlighting the importance of healing through education, awareness, and engagement.

Rutgers-Camden is hosting From Chaos to Community: A Conversation with Eddie S. Glaude Jr. on Thursday, January 21, 12:45–1:45 p.m. (register here). Nationally respected scholar, commentator, and author Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr. will lead a discussion guided by his book, Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul, which explores the foundational perspectives set forth by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his last book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community.

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Equity will host the Building an Inclusive Academy Symposium on Friday, January 29, 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (register here). This symposium will help participants understand the challenges of the academy and why we need to work to make it more inclusive. Join us to problematize the academy as it is and push it to transform. Attendees will better understand diversity and its discontents and learn why diversity and excellence go hand in hand and why we must normalize equity and inclusion.

The Black Student Union and Cultural Center Collaborative at Rutgers–New Brunswick have joined together to celebrate Black History Month and honor Native American heritage. A Dream of Kuponya/Kikeokàn: Black and Native American Healing will take place virtually on Sunday, January 31, 6–8 p.m. (register here). The event’s theme centers on the healing practices of both Black and Lenni-Lenape people. Featured speakers President Jonathan Holloway, Dr. Cornel West, and Rev. J. R. Norwood will bring awareness to the history, struggle, and resiliency of social justice movements.

These events are an opportunity to gather, to reflect, and to be encouraged. I hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Enobong Branch
Senior Vice President for Equity