Diversity Committee Update
September 15, 2020
Black Lives Matter. We Commit to Being the Change We Wish to See.
Witnessing the extrajudicial killing of Black people during the past 5 months has led many to awaken to myriad racist policies in the U.S. While this consciousness has been recent for most, Black Americans know these murders are but a symptom of a long history of racial injustice and state-sanctioned violence against Black Americans. The Manship School of Mass Communication issued a statement in June expressing its support of the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as our Black students, faculty, staff and alumni. As a collective, the Manship School faculty and staff take the issue of racial injustices seriously and have been actively working to identify the many ways in which we can fulfill the plan of action articulated by the School in its June 2020 BLM statement. The Manship School Diversity Committee specifically supports Dean Martin Johnson in this stance and, more importantly, stands in solidarity with and as an ally to our Black community members. We do not take this position lightly.
A groundswell of faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and staff graciously offered their services to facilitate this essential work. We are continuing the legacy of previous committee members who have worked tirelessly to lay the foundation for what we believe is a solid springboard for essential changes.
The Diversity Committee is dedicated to becoming more socially, morally and ethically conscious in its efforts to address the systemic oppression and social injustices that shape our realities in very fundamental ways. While we all want to see immediate change in the unjust treatment of Black people, critical and permanent change will take time. The Diversity Committee is intently working to develop action items that will create and sustain an authentically inclusive community.
At the Manship School of Mass Communication, the trifecta of diversity, equity and inclusion will be more than just words. We will implement plans that move us into action. We will hold ourselves more accountable as social justice advocates. We will aggressively, purposefully and diligently work to enrich an exemplary program dedicated to nurturing global citizens ready to change the world.
Our efforts are concentrated on the five facets of the existing Manship School Diversity Plan, with appropriate changes made in response to the current racial turmoil: (1) Students; (2) Faculty and Staff; (3) Curriculum; (4) Culture; and (5) Policies. A subcommittee has been developed for each of the facets, with the goal of identifying strengths and areas of improvement that align with our overarching goal of being more transparent and vigilant in our commitment to being a transformative space for all.
We, the Diversity Committee, are fighting for social justice and are committed advocates for equality. We commit to being the change we wish to see. We thank you in advance for your patience and ask that, as a member of the Manship School community, you join us on this much needed journey.
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In solidarity,
Tina M. Harris, Chair
Jinx Broussard, Faculty
Cindy Carter, Faculty
Jerry Ceppos, Faculty
Anthony Ciaramella, Doctoral Student
Carrie Cole, Student
Roxanne Dill, Faculty
Justin Franklin, Student
Nathan Kalmoe, Faculty
Soojin Kim, Faculty
Will Mari, Faculty
Ruth Moon Mari, Faculty
Lance Porter, Faculty
Paromita Saha, Doctoral Candidate
Meghan Sanders, Faculty
Kathleen Searles, Faculty
Kelci Sibley, Staff
Kyle Stanley, Master’s Student
Chelsea Rainwater, Staff
Sadie Wilks, Faculty