To our UW Students,
This past year has been exceptionally challenging. In the midst of a global health pandemic, we acknowledge that there has also been a racial pandemic in our country. We continue to grieve for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all those who have suffered and lost their lives under unjust and racist systems.
We affirm that Black lives matter. To the Jews of Color and all those impacted by recent events who are treasured members of the University of Washington and the greater Seattle community, we see you, we recognize your pain, and we send love to you and your families. Hillel UW remains dedicated to allyship and anti-racist values. In thinking about how we can move from feeling completely overwhelmed into a space of concrete and tangible action, Hillel UW is committed to starting with the following five action steps:
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- We will build relationships with the leaders and members of the Black Student Commission and the African Student Association by reaching out, letting them know we are thinking of them, and ask them what support from us looks like. We will follow their lead as we know that this is a particularly vulnerable and challenging time as we seek to learn, and elevate their voices.
- We created a dedicated space on our website with resources to educate ourselves on issues of racism. All resources will be vetted carefully and will come from reliable organizations.
- We will provide space for valued members of our community who are Jews of Color and members of the Black community to share their stories and experiences with us so that we may learn from them and educate ourselves. This may look like an invited speaker, a book club, or a film screening. We commit to offering programming throughout this academic year, and for the years to come, that address the issue of race inequality.
- Along with the leaders at Hillel International, we will continue to listen to our colleagues and friends in the Black community to offer further concrete ways for us to stand against racism, including professional training, and programming.
- Our board and staff is committed to our own learning about diversity, race, and equity issues and are availing ourselves of opportunities for lay and professional learning together.
If you are in need of a safe space to vent or process, please reach out to any member of the Hillel professional team. We are here for you. If you would like to speak to our mental health counselor here at Hillel, Sheri Davis, is available to meet with you if you are currently residing in WA State, and can help with a referral if you are living out of state at this time.
