The Promise We Made: To Put Justice Into Action
June 2, 2020
Dear friends,
I am writing to you as your colleague, friend, Director of Unity & Diversity, and the mother of two Black sons many of you know and love.
While anxiety is a daily constant in my lived experience as a Black mother in the US, the recent events which blatantly displayed privilege, power, callousness, and complete lack of value placed on Black lives shook me to my core. For the first time in my role as the leader of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives in our community, I was emotionally, spiritually, and physically unable to lead.
Like our country, Wheeler has not conquered the pain and ugliness of racism. However, we are doing the work with the recognition that much more has to be done. To that, on behalf of our faculty and staff of color, I am deeply grateful to my white colleagues who over the past few days, stepped up to lead by taking action, developing programming, and sharing resources. I also thank you for your calls, texts, and emails of love and support.
As Allison said in her community response, ‘this hurt is all ours” and she reminded us of the promise we made in September “to put justice into action.”
In solidarity and friendship,
Princess Sirleaf Bomba
Director of Unity and Diversity
