STATEMENT OF UNITY FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
Dear BUMP Students, Staff and Faculty,
How can we make society better for everyone? That’s a fundamental question we all face.
The recent killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor have, yet again, thrown the problem of unequal justice into sharp relief. The COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate effects on economically disadvantaged communities and communities of color have highlighted gross inequities in healthcare and other systems across the nation. These events expose the persistent, systemic racism that blights our country.
We still have much work to do to make our departments, programs, university, and city more diverse and inclusive. We remain committed to achieving these goals. In our departments and programs, we will increase our efforts to ensure equal opportunities, welcome and train students from groups who are traditionally underrepresented, adopt inclusive pedagogical techniques, and conduct impactful research that benefits society at large. We recognize that these efforts alone will not be enough to address the challenges we face.
We welcome suggestions on how to make our community more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming, and how to ensure our efforts are more effective. We are eager to hear your ideas about how to build a better tomorrow, and we look forward to continuing this work together.
Sincerely,
Pete Buston, Director of BU Marine Program
Wally Fulweiler, Former Director of BU Marine Program
Pam Templer, Director of the PhD Program in Biogeoscience
Guido Salvucci, Chair of the Department of Earth & Environment
Kim McCall, Chair of the Department of Biology
Nathan Phillips, Faculty Director of the Earth House Living and Learning Community
For members of our community in need further support, below are some additional BU resources that are free and available remotely:
Behavioral Medicine
24/7 Phone: 617-353-3569
Fax: 617-353-3557
http://patientconnect.bu.edu/
Dean of Students Office
617-353-4126
dos@bu.edu
Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
617-353-4745
thurman@bu.edu
Marsh Chapel, Boston University
617-353-3560
chapel@bu.edu