The Importance of Reaching Out to Black Faculty, Staff, and Students to Create a Community of Care

Have you reached out to your Black faculty, staff, and students to provide support? Many colleagues, friends, and allies may not know exactly what to say. I challenge you to say something. Say, “I saw/read the news about Ahmaud Arbery or George Floyd, let me know how I can support you. Please do not carry on as we are “business as usual”. Black faculty, staff, and students need to know you are sensitive to the nationwide news that should impact everyone. You will be surprised how this adds to their self-care and developing a community of care.

If you know me, I often talk to faculty, staff, and students about W.E.B. DuBois’ “double-consciousness” theory. Dubois wrote on double-consciousness, “two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.” This psychological and physical warfare of identities to be accepted in spaces and by people that have historically seen you as “other” or “invisible” places much strain on one’s body, mind, and soul.  As a Black man, I see the anxiety my family faced and continues to face for years as my mother prayed that I arrive home safely. I see the concern on my daughter’s face when she removes my hoodie from my head; even though I have the hoodie on to keep my head warm. She sees the hoodie as justification for police and others to look at me differently. Unfortunately, I have had several confrontations with the police since the age of 16 years old. I have been pulled over for looking like a suspect that they never could provide the description to me. I have been stopped several times by police for having a nice car with their perception I was a drug dealer. I have been profiled by police with shotguns drawn and helicopters everywhere for the assumption I stole my car. All of these encounters and many I did not mention could have went very different from me. I do realize that the sum total of all of these encounters have to do with the color of my skin, my zip code, and the systemic racism that continues to be prevalent in 2020.

I share my story, because you may not know what your colleagues and students have been through and possible triggers that leave them vulnerable. Building a community of care and cultural competency is vital to an inclusive environment. As a university administrator, I believe it is essential for administration, faculty, staff, and students be able to understand, communicate with and effectively interact with people across cultures. We have to start moving out of our comfort zone. We cannot continue to use the excuse of what is appropriate or inappropriate to say during difficult times.

I encourage colleges, departments, and individuals to use your heart to lead. Although, I mentioned cultural competency; good old fashion knowing right from wrong supports your heart, your outreach to others, and a community care. My staff and I will be organizing space for our Black faculty, staff, and students to decompress, to engage, to cry, to dream, and to strengthen our efforts on inclusivity. What will you do to support your Black faculty, staff, and students?