Our community must stand united in the face of hate. Across the country and on our campus, acts of hate are on the rise. Ranging often from vandalism (e.g., defacing or destroying posters) to graffiti in public spaces (e.g. harmful messages on university property that target race, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, and sexuality), but can also include negative interpersonal interactions.
Hateful acts aim to intimidate and hinder our goals of inclusive community. We reject hatred aspire to be a community that collectively rejects hate. Moving from aspirations to change requires your engagement.
As a community, we:
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Stand united in defense of diversity and inclusion.
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Reject all forms of bigotry and hatred.
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Reaffirm UMass Amherst’s commitment to ensuring a safe and welcoming living-learning-working environment for every member of our community.
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Call on you to actively make UMass Amherst an inclusive campus for all.
Join us in actively fostering an appreciation for diversity by not tolerating acts of hate. Review the hate response protocol to better understand how the university responds, seek out local resources for advocacy and support, as well as national outlets for training and tools to combat hate.
If you, or someone you know, has experienced an act of hate report it and get support.
Experiencing acts of hate should not be a part of the UMass experience. We want to address issues quickly when they arise and have several methods through which you can report an act of hate or climate incident. If you are not looking to report a specific incident and instead are looking for support systems, please review the Crisis Support page to identify the best place to start. If you need someone to talk to confidentially, seek out our resources to support your mental health and visit the Take Care of Yourself page for tips for self-care in the aftermath of hate. If you need more information, please visit the UMatter@UMass website. There is a comprehensive list of resources there to help you through any difficult situation.
Restoring Community in the Aftermath of Hate
While freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas are a vital part of the educational discourse, an act of hate dehumanizes people, erodes individual rights, debilitates morale, and interferes with the effectiveness of work and learning environments.
In the wake of an act of hate, the university engages actively to ensure a safe and inclusive campus environment for all. We conduct a threat assessment to ensure physical safety and attend immediately to restoring a sense of psychological safety by providing mental health resources to help impacted individuals and communities rebound.
As an educational institution, we also engage the community in an ongoing fashion to learn about difference and engage thoughtfully to prevent acts of hate.
