The responsibility for action rests with all of us – individually and collectively. Whether it’s standing up against an injustice, engaging in conversations that promote understanding, or offering support to those who need it, we can all take an active role in fostering a culture of inclusion, equity and compassion to ensure everyone in our campus community succeeds.”
Welcome to the seventh edition of Action: Racial Justice and Equity at Bridgewater State University. For those of you who are new to BSU, this e-publication is designed to provide tangible examples of how the university is working to advance the cause of racial justice and equity through its commitment to implementing the recommendations from the Special Presidential Task Force on Racial Justice (May 2021). This publication presents news items and stories that showcase our commitment to racial justice and equity at BSU at the present moment and into the future.
Beginning with the first edition of this newsletter in November 2022, former Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Karim Ismaili served as the publisher. Today, we are honored to serve as co-publishers; however, the work we highlight is only made possible through the dedication and tremendous care of so many campus and community leaders, and we thank you all! We would also like to extend special thanks to President Clark; Dr. Ismaili; Paul Jean, vice president of enrollment, marketing and communications and his talented team for entrusting us with these important responsibilities as the new co-publishers.
The word that guides our publishing charge is “Action.” It is a simple word with a lot of force behind it. Action is something that you do. Action implies movement or an effort that’s directed toward achieving a goal of significance. It is also an important word that can be used to describe all the efforts taken by BSU and its commitment to fostering a campus community where every individual, no matter who they are, is respected, valued and empowered. While many of the recommendations from the Special Presidential Task Force on Racial Justice have been implemented, plenty of work is still to be done by the campus community. BSU’s core values of welcoming, compassion and intellectual rigor encourage us to work together so all members – students, faculty, staff and beyond – can thrive.
The responsibility for action rests with all of us – individually and collectively. Whether it’s standing up against an injustice, engaging in conversations that promote understanding, or offering support to those who need it, we can all take an active role in fostering a culture of inclusion, equity and compassion to ensure everyone in our campus community succeeds.
Here are several strategies to encourage and support everyone to do their part:
A is for Awareness, being mindful of yourself, others, and surroundings, and understanding what work needs to be done.
C is for Commitment, showing dedication to follow through with your plans and responsibilities.
T is for Togetherness, working alongside others to take collective action and achieve common goals.
I is for Impact, recognizing the meaningful effect your actions have on people, situations or the world.
O is for Optimism, believing your actions will lead to positive outcomes and maintaining a hopeful outlook.
N is for Necessity, understanding when action is required and driven by a sense of urgency or importance.
In this edition of Action, we present five stories that highlight positive changes for advancing racial equity and justice that are taking place across campus. Procurement Services and Operations describe their efforts to move the needle in providing more minority-owned companies with opportunities to do business with BSU. The Center for Transformative Learning highlights the correlation of students of color who participate in the Honors Program and the impact on retention. We also feature a student participating in the Honors Program. Last, but not least, is a story about the many initiatives BSU is employing to attract and retain Latine students.
As we close out this introductory message, we want to take a moment to remind our readers about the values of Bridgewater State University:
Bridgewater State University reaffirms the values of our community as a welcoming, compassionate, and intellectually rigorous learning, working and living environment. We reject all forms of bias, discrimination, xenophobia and violence. We recommit ourselves to actions that put into practice our individual and institutional values of diversity, inclusion and equity.
Let’s work together – across our campus and beyond – to make these values a reality for every person in our community. Now is the time to act.
Diane Bell, vice president of the Division of Outreach and Engagement
Dr. Jakari Griffith, interim assistant provost for global engagement and senior international officer of the Dr. Edward W. Minnock Institute for Global Engagement; associate professor of management in the Ricciardi College of Business
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