OEI Newsletter - February 2026
By Jess Dillard-Wright
Associate Dean of Equity & Inclusion
Elaine Marieb College of Nursing
Celebrating Black History Month
In February we spotlight Black History Month as a vibrant and fundamental part of United States history, including the field of nursing. Black nurses and nurse educators, past and present, blazed trails in the field and made immeasurable contributions to the discipline.
Learn more about this important history:
- By reading the paper “Hidden Figures of Nursing: The Historical Contributions of Black Nurses and a Narrative for Those Who Are Unnamed, Undocumented, and Underrepresented” by DL Baptiste.
- By checking out Darlene Clark Hine’s "Black Women in White: Racial Conflict and Cooperation in the Nursing Profession, 1890–1950" and Charissa J. Threat’s "Nursing Civil Rights: Gender and Race in the Army Nurse Corps."
- Connect with and support the ongoing work of Black nurses in the United States and New England, today and every day, through the following organizations:
The year 2026 has also opened with ongoing crises related to immigration and violence. It's important we take care of ourselves, and each other, during such turbulent times.
- For questions or concerns related to immigration, please reach out to the UMass Office of Global Affairs.
- For guidance related to student legal matters, please refer to Student Legal Services.
- For information on federal actions, please refer to the UMass Federal Action webpage.
- Students can seek emotional and psychological support through the UMass Center for Counseling and Psychological Health, while staff and faculty can make use of the Employee Counseling and Consultation Office.
- All members of the UMass community may access food-security resources through the food-security partnership with Amherst Survival Center.
Upcoming Events
The Okanagan Wellbeing Collective's Week of Wellbeing kicks off this Saturday. Be sure to also check out the UMass Office of Equity and Inclusion events page and the UMass Events Calendar for offerings this month.
Connect with EMCON OEI
Please reach out if I can assist support, brainstorm, or connect. jdillardwrig [at] umass [dot] edu (Email me) or feel free to drop by my office in Skinner Hall, rm. 130. You can also share your feedback through this form. And don’t forget— Community + Connection + Conversation meets every Monday from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom. All are welcome— simply email me for the Zoom link.