Pexels photo by Harun Tan
On a historic day, when the state of Georgia’s Senate election of a Black pastor from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's church was announced, white supremacists marched to the U.S. Capitol building with a confederate flag. This violent insurrection at the Capitol by white nationalists and white supremacists, incited by the President, along with several members of Congress, is reprehensible. We condemn the violence at our nation’s capital on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. This kind of chaos and riotous behavior, fueled by misinformation and deception, are subversive attempts to thwart the peaceful transfer of power and are a threat to our democracy.
As a school of education and a center for community engagement, we recognize the work we must do to dismantle white supremacy, fight all injustice including the double standard that allowed the breach in the U.S. Capitol yet promotes the over-policing of peaceful protestors of color. As educators committed to social justice, we must call out bigotry and hate and renew our commitment to fight for racial justice, today and always. To our Black, Brown, Indigenous, People of Color (BBIPOC), we stand united in this fight. We support a multiracial, multiethnic, multilingual, anti-racist democracy and nation. As we begin the spring semester, we cannot forget that we must be ever vigilant in the process of reckoning with this nation’s past and present, as well as the shaping of a more racially just future.
We are living in a moment filled with anxiety about what the future might bring. Each moment of care, every action, unlearning, and learning, and every re-commitment to justice and equity within our community has a role in shaping the world anew. Please consider joining us in reading, reflecting on Bettina Love’s How to Make Anti-Racism Work More than a Performance.
Take care and please reach out for support as we move forward together. All CU Boulder students, staff, and faculty can access the campus resources for mental health and wellness. Some other resources and strategies include:
— The CU Boulder School of Education and CU Engage: Center for Community-Based Learning and Research