Our Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

We, the students, faculty, and staff of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at UMass Amherst are committed to being part of the movement towards a just and equitable future for all. We join the voices of those demanding an end to racism and hate, while affirming that Black Lives Matter.

We recognize the harm caused by systemic racism in both education and healthcare. As members of professions that have contributed to supporting structural inequities in these systems, we acknowledge that the field of communication disorders can and must do better. We also recognize the harm caused by normalizing silence and complicity in long-standing systems of oppression.

We are grateful for the educators and activists who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), whose leadership provides the tools for identifying and dismantling racism at the personal, organizational, and systemic levels, while uplifting a vision of a more equitable future. We must be explicit in our commitment to creating tangible change within our department and our field, including active engagement in anti-racist campaigns to challenge policies that preserve the biased status quo in admission, hiring, retention, and advancement of BIPOC students, staff, and faculty.

Interested students, alumni, faculty, and staff can learn more by visiting our blog.