Bulldog Bites

News and Views from the University of Redlands

‘Collective work with love and compassion’

In light of recent events, members of the Faculty of Color Caucus crafted a statement to communicate priorities to the University and community that center the collective work with love and compassion. The group’s co-conveners, Professors Nicol Howard and Maria L. Muñoz, sent the following statement to the Bulldog Blog on behalf of the whole group.

The Faculty of Color Caucus, an institutional entity, was established to advance agendas that would benefit our constituents and the University community. We are committed to doing work—within our group and through collaborations with other people and groups—that will make our community stronger and better. It is in that spirit that we reach out to you today. We, like everyone else in our country and beyond, have been witnessing the precariousness that determines how we live today. Therefore, we have come to a point in our history when we feel we must act.

These times have been very hard for most of us. The twin tragedies of the seemingly unstoppable pandemic and ongoing police violence have brought loss, fear, and instability to many, but particularly to people of color. Within these terrible circumstances, we see opportunity for rebirth and change as the things that are wrong in our society and our workplaces come clearly into focus. This clarity serves as a strong motivator for changing our world for the better.

We must address the inequities of race and its intersections with ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and national citizenships as they impact both students and faculty. It is time for all of us to work together and find ways forward that frame our collective work with love and compassion. We need to open up a diversity of communication channels that can help us to treat each other with respect, consideration, and empathy. These priorities must be adopted throughout the University, from the very highest office with the greatest power to the humblest position.

We affirm that room for disagreement and debate is an absolute necessity in our community and hope that challenging conversations can be informed by love and empathy for the realities and worldviews of others irrespective of their race, ethnicity, or position.

As our caucus strategizes to make our work and our members visible to the University community, we invite all of you to join with us in identifying and changing what doesn’t work in our University, and to elevate and celebrate what we know to be good and fair for all. We can move forward towards something better, in spite of the turmoil, uncertainty, loss, and pain. We can make a better place for all of us, right here, where we work, where we love, and where we live.

To connect with the Faculty of Color Caucus, please contact one of the co-conveners: Professor Nicol Howard or Professor Maria L. Muñoz.