Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

This statement is one of our core principles at the College of Natural Sciences (CNS), and we recognize that the systemic oppression, abuse, and killing of Black and brown people across the United States means we have a long way to go toward removing the inequality that permeates all levels of our society. For this reason, CNS has committed to increase awareness of white privilege and racism in our institution, and to convert that knowledge to action through guided discussions, trainings, and workshops, so that we may become effective allies.

Below are events, resources, and curricula we are developing to improve learning about these issues for our community. We will continue to add to these throughout the academic year.

Upcoming Events

White Like Me Viewing and Group Discussion

White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son (2013, 1 hr 9 min, close-captioned), offers a personal account on whiteness, white privilege and racism in America. In this documentary, Tim Wise discusses how white privilege harms not only people of color but white people as well. Participants will be asked to view the film independently, reflect critically using guided questions, and then participate in a small, pre-scheduled group discussion afterward.

Participation in discussion groups requires pre-registration. Please note that separate discussion groups have been created for faculty and staff; discussion groups for grad students and postdoctoral researchers are currently in development and will be announced soon. After selecting a group, please use the link below to view the film no more than 24 hours before your scheduled discussion group to ensure that the film's details remain fresh in your mind.

View film for free using your UMass log-in:

To become active and supportive allies for our friends and colleagues of color, white individuals must take on the job of educating themselves about racism, white privilege and racial identity. This event is a first step in that process. We will be using information from these discussion sessions to create an action plan across CNS, and we recognize that we all will have a role to play in this important work.

Many of our Black faculty colleagues, graduate students and postdocs have expressed a desire to meet together within their groups to advance a sense of community, and the college is working to support their plans. In the coming weeks, plans for these Black discussion groups will be announced.

In addition, we commit to supporting our other colleagues of color—faculty, staff and graduate students—in sharing their experiences of racism and discrimination on campus. Forums for this purpose are currently being organized and will be announced in the near future. If you are interested in forming or participating in other types of groups, please contact us at CNS-Together@umass.edu.

Our Commitment to Diversity

The College of Natural Sciences (CNS) is committed to increasing, retaining, and supporting the success of faculty and students who have been historically underrepresented in academic science. The college advances this goal through policies, programs, and working groups implemented at a college-wide level and also through individual departments. Focused efforts are made to remove the barriers that prevent full participation of all scientists and scientists-in-training, including women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities.  CNS initiatives to promote equity and inclusion are in support of the University's Diversity Mission, which includes a commitment to inclusion of historically underrepresented groups and belief that a culturally diverse campus is integral to academic excellence.

OUR PRIORITIES INCLUDE ADVANCING:

RESPECT for the contributions of each member of our community and for their essential role in achieving excellence in our mission

AWARENESS of perspectives beyond our own personal experience

OUR VALUES regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion through transparency in expectations and commitment to accountability for all members of our community

COMMUNITY through engagement and interactions

EMPOWERMENT AND A SENSE OF AGENCY through informed and inclusive decision making

INCENTIVIZATION to recognize and reward exemplary commitment and success

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION through application of best practices in recruitment, retention, and advancement of all community members

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS to promote civility and inclusivity in the workplace and in the classroom

LEARNING COMMUNITIES through the sharing of knowledge across units

Letter from CNS Leadership

"We Must Stand Together to End Racism"
June 10, 2020

We are heartbroken and outraged by the recent killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, and the numerous deaths and acts of violence repeatedly endured by the Black community. These horrific events, along with the inequalities brought to light through the pandemic, highlight just how unacceptably far we are from achieving a society in which each of us has the opportunity to fully and safely reach our aspirations.  

In the College of Natural Sciences, we echo the sentiments of our Chancellor, in vehemently rejecting hate, racism and prejudice. We acknowledge the pain, anger, and exhaustion that our Black staff, students, postdocs, and faculty are experiencing and recognize the need for space to grieve with family and community. At this same time, we urgently call on the rest of us to educate ourselves around issues of racism and white privilege in order to learn how to be effective allies. 

We recognize that our Black staff, students, postdocs, and faculty have been carrying a heavy load in advocating for change and in educating our society.  We must listen to them and not expect them to shoulder the responsibility for this change.  Instead, this important work must be shared by us all if we are to be successful in creating environments in our classrooms, research programs, and community engagements that are equitable, kind, and inclusive.  To accomplish this goal, we commit to:

• Increasing awareness of white privilege and racism and converting that knowledge into effective allyship through guided discussions, trainings, and workshops within CNS 
• Seeking guidance and feedback from our African American faculty, staff, postdocs, and students through advisory groups to ensure that our efforts respond to their needs and experiences 

We must stand together to end racism.  We will not do this perfectly. We will make mistakes; it will not happen overnight, but we reaffirm our commitment to creating change. In our university setting, where debate, knowledge, discussion, and growth are critical to all that we do, we must continue to take meaningful steps and do the hard work that is needed to eradicate racism and advance equity and inclusion across CNS and the campus. 

Our first opportunities for engagement will be announced on the college Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website by June 22, 2020, which will complement the programs offered by the Office of Equity and Inclusion.  We will also continue to post updates on this site for CNS plans and opportunities for you to engage as we continue this crucial work.Please contact us with your concerns, thoughts and ideas at CNS-Together@umass.edu.

Sincerely,
 

Tricia R. Serio, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences

Elizabeth Connor, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Development

Peter Holden, Associate Dean for Finance, Administration and Operations

Maureen Perry-Jenkins, Interim Associate Dean for Faculty, Graduate and Postdoctoral Development

Mark Tuominen, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation

Jody Jellison, Director for the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Agricultural Research and Engagement

Nilanjana (Buju) Dasgupta, Director of Faculty Equity and Inclusion

Jennifer McDermott, Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Karen Whelan-Berry, Director of Faculty Development and Programs

Programs Offered by UMass Office of Equity and Inclusion

Taking Action at UMass Amherst to Combat Racism: A Message from Nefertiti Walker, Interim Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Books

• How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi
• So You Want To Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo
• The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin
• Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• Me And White Supremacy, by Layla F. Saad
• The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race, edited by Jesmyn Ward
• Citizen: An American Lyric, by Claudia Rankine
• Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches, by Audre Lorde
• Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity, by C. Riley Snorton
• A Terrible Thing To Waste: Environmental Racism And Its Assault On The American Mind, by Harriet A. Washington
• White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DiAngelo
• They Can't Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America's Racial Justice Movement, by Wesley Lowery
• Heavy: An American Memoir, by Kiese Laymon
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander
• White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide, by Carol Anderson
• The Color Of Law, by Richard Rothstein
• Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children In A Racially Unjust America, by Jennifer Harvey

Movies

• White Like Me, Scott Morris, 2013, 69 minutes
• The Central Park Five, Ken Burns, 2012, 119 minutes
• Whose Streets?, Sabaah Folayan, 2017, 102 minutes
• The Hate U Give, George Tillman Jr, 2018, 133 minutes
• 1965 Debate Between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley, 58 minutes
• Skin Deep, Frances Reid, 1995, 53 minutes
• 13^th, Ava DuVernay, 2016, 100 minutes
• I Am Not Your Negro, 2017, 93 minutes
• Just Mercy, 2019, 137 minutes

Articles

• “Message to White Allies from a Black Anti-Racism Expert: You’re Doing it Wrong”
• “Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay—Chances Are, They’re Not”

Curricula & Syllabi

• “Institutionalized Racism: A Syllabus”
• Talking About Race (hosted by The National Museum of African American History & Culture)

TED Talks & Podcasts

• “The difference between being ‘not racist’ and antiracist”—Author and historian Ibram X. Kendi defines antiracism, and advocates for actively rejecting prejudice in our public policies and institutions.
• “Talks to Help You Understand Racism in America”—A curated list of TED Talks including an interview with the founders of #BlackLivesMatter
• The 1619 Project—Multimedia published by The New York Times
• Intersectionality Matters!—Podcast by the African American Policy Forum with host Kimberlé Crenshaw
• Code Switch—Podcast by National Public Radio (NPR) about racism in America