Solidarity and Accountability with the Black UMass Community : College of Education : UMass Amherst

Dean Cynthia Gerstl-Pepin, leadership in the Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research, and Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Benita Barnes respond to the recent anti-Black incidents at UMass Amherst.

Dean Cynthia Gerstl-Pepin's Statement

Greetings,

The recent events of blatant Anti-Blackness on our campus are contemptible. It is not acceptable that individuals feel they need to cause harm to Black students and other students perceived as different by spewing hate and cruelty. To the Black students, staff, and faculty harmed by these acts, we stand with you and celebrate the amazing talent, strength, and intellect you bring to the University. UMass is better because you are here.

Racism is not something that only happens elsewhere. These acts have underscored what we already know; that racism and the legacy of white supremacy is felt right here on our campus. One way to fight hate is with love, kindness, and understanding. All of us must be willing to acknowledge that Anti-Blackness exists in our daily lives. We need to show we value people who are different, be vulnerable and own up to mistakes we make along the way whether intended or not. Our Center of Racial Justice (CRJ) is doing amazing work and for that we should be proud. For example, CRJ is leading a Black Joy, Black Healing, and Black Justice Forum for Black students to promote joyfulness and recovery:

Black Joy, Black Healing and Black Justice Forum – A forum led by the Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research (CRJ) and sponsored by the Office of Equity and Inclusion on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021, 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., location to be determined. The forum will bring together Black students from across the UMass Amherst campus for an evening of community, love and kinship against a backdrop of ongoing anti-Black hatred that will never define or deter us. Food, music and space for healing, joy and reflection will be led by students and faculty of CRJ.

Change is going to take time and commitment from all of us. As a College, we will continue to create opportunities for each of us to self-reflect and work on our own awareness of the ways that racism and other forms of inequity operate. Together we can work towards a society where love and kindness overcome violence, hate, and racism. To that end, here are some ways you can take action now:

Volunteer to serve on our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. It is open to faculty, staff, and students. If you are interested in joining please send an email to educdean [at] umass [dot] edu (educdean[at]umass[dot]edu)
Faculty can work on pedagogy by attending Dr. Chayla Haynes Davison’s workshop on "The susceptibility of teaching to White interests" on Oct. 6 at 2:00pm, via Zoom (with support from the College of Education and the Center for Teaching & Learning). See more details below about the presenter and the workshop, as well as if you would like to attend, please email Ryan Wells (rswells [at] umass [dot] edu (rswells[at]umass[dot]edu)) to receive the Zoom information. Attendance is capped at 25 participants.
Students, staff, and faculty can join a small book group discussion of Micere Keels' book Campus Counterspaces: Black and Latinx Students' Search for Community at Historically White Universities. Dr. Keels will give a public talk at UMass in the Old Chapel on November 9, 2021 at 11:30 AM. The event is co-sponsored by the Colleges of Education, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Natural Sciences; and the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Book groups will meet twice before her visit to discuss the book with access to guided discussion questions. If you are interested in joining a book group, please sign up here by September 30 to select your two preferred meeting dates. Each meeting time is offered via Zoom or face-to-face.

We are stronger together in addressing racism and all forms of injustice. This is just the beginning of our collective work ahead. Take care and be well.

In solidarity,

Cynthia Gerstl-Pepin, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor
College of Education

Center of Racial Justice's Statement

Solidarity and Accountability with the Black UMass Community | Standing Against Anti-Black Campus Incidents and Beyond

The Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research (CRJ) stands in solidarity with the Black Communities—encompassing Black life throughout the African diaspora—on the UMass Amherst campus, in particular, as well as throughout the Five Colleges, across the nation, and around the world in our fight for racial justice and demands to end anti-Black racialized violence. Our commitment to combating anti-Black racism and promoting equity and justice extends to and includes creating safe academic and social campus environments for Black students, faculty, staff, and community members in the Greater Amherst area. The UMass community must situate this moment in a larger context of anti-Black violence that has been sweeping the nation in the last several years and the historical ongoingness of antiblackness writ-large.

Noting the endemic nature of antiblackness to U.S. society and the ways it is entrenched in systems and institutions, we understand that anti-Black racial incidents are not a new phenomenon. Additionally, we acknowledge the ways antiblackness—the structural-based regime violently positioning Blackness and Black people as less than—operates beyond the borders of this nation, impacting Black identifying peoples across the globe. In this moment, as our UMass campus community is processing acts of blatant antiblackness, we write this statement to express our unwavering commitment as social justice workers to uplifting and defending Black life and the necessity for the UMass community to do the same. Incidents of antiblackness cannot be taken lightly, which becomes partially true when we consider the material and psychic violence that occurs as a result of anti-Black ideologies. We call on UMass to take swift action to redress the violence experienced by Black students and to develop ways to sustain Black student lifeways on campus in structural ways grounded in the affirmation of the richness of Black humanity.

Before closing, we want to underscore our outrage at the recent incidents directly impacting the Black UMass community. Moreover, we are saddened by the ways these incidents work to dehumanize each member of our campus community. Attacking a particular group in oppressive ways robs all involved of their humanity—especially those responsible for committing the offense. This moment humbly reminds us that we must be staunchly committed to racial justice and solidarity across racial/ethnic lines, working to support all Black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous, and People of Color. At CRJ, we (re)commit ourselves to liberation work amplifying youth voices and leadership at the center of our areas of influence: Racial Equity, Critical Teacher Education, Youth Leadership, Fugitivity & Abolitionism, and Community Engagement.

Here are some resources we are sharing as we stand in solidarity with the Black UMass community and work to end anti-Black racism:

Academic Articles

Black Posts and OpEds

Videos

In Love & Community,

Jamila Lyiscott, Ph.D.
Founding Co-Director
Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research

Keisha L. Green, Ph.D.
Founding Co-Director
Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research

Justin Coles, Ph.D.
Director of Arts, Culture, and Political Engagement
Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research

Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion Benita Barnes' Statement

Dear College of Education Community,

It is both disheartening and infuriating to learn of the multiple anti-Black racist incidents that occurred on our campus recently, which included, but are not limited to, an anti-Black racist email sent to numerous Black-centered student groups. I was heartened by the University’s strong rebuke of these blatantly racist acts and I applaud Vice-Chancellor Walker’s courage to call these incidents exactly what they are—anti-Black incidents—rather than just acts of racism or the even more generic and obscured description of racially biased incidents.

However, we can ill-afford to act as if these craven and cowardly acts are purely motivated by the personal prejudice an individual or a few individuals hold in their hearts and for whom we can find, then dismiss, from our community. Yes, the individual or individuals who are behind these heinous crimes against the humanity of Black people should be searched out and held accountable. Still, we are only deceiving ourselves and each other, if we are not willing to openly acknowledge that the same bigoted and horrendous sentiments contained in that email, are the same bigoted and horrendous beliefs that gave birth to this nation. Anti-Blackness, defined broadly as a specific kind of racial prejudice directed towards Black people, is so ingrained and embedded in the fabric of this nation, it has become our nation’s most honored and defendable trait. If we choose to continue to ignore this reality, we are not just perpetuating the biggest lie of lies—racial prejudice dwells singularly within individuals—that has ever been spawn, we are letting the real culprit—white supremacy—the creator, overseer, and beneficiary of anti-Blackness—go unnamed, unnoticed, and intact.

Most of the work that I will be doing this academic year in my role as Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is focused on working with various departments and committees in the College on how to begin deconstructing and dismantling the white supremacist culture higher education institutions were founded upon. Nevertheless, I am committed to finding time and space for our Black faculty, staff, and students to talk about the ways in which anti-Blackness has impacted and continues to impact our lived experiences. In addition, I would like to invite the entire College community to engage with me throughout this academic year on topics centered specifically on anti-Blackness as a way to learn, inform, grow, and change as a college. More information on these opportunities will be forthcoming.

Lastly, if anyone feels they need immediate trauma informed care/support, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Peace and love,

Benita J. Barnes, PhD
Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
120B Furcolo
barnesbj [at] umass [dot] edu (barnesbj[at]umass[dot]edu)

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Solidarity and Accountability with the Black UMass Community

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