Faculty Senate response to the Atlanta tragedy

Dear community members of the Mary Frances Early College of Education,

The Faculty Senate stands in solidarity with all those affected by this latest act of domestic terrorism, particularly our international and Asian/Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAAPI) colleagues. Although the stated motive behind the murderer’s actions may not have been the racialization of the COVID-19 pandemic, these killings were racially motivated. The hypersexualization and commodification of AAAPI women is a direct result of racism, misogyny, and white supremacy. These killings are only the most recent example of the xenophobia, harassment, and physical violence that has been endured by those in the AAAPI community.

The actions of this terrorist were perpetrated in a community many of us call home, and we will not sit idly by while this happens in our backyard. The Faculty Senate will continue to actively speak out against and take action to resist discrimination in all forms. To our students, staff members, and all of our colleagues in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, this tragedy only strengthens our commitment to continue the work necessary to see the changes we demand in our community.

We call for the College to continue the work outlined in the included list of actionable items to ensure courageous conversations in the midst of this global pandemic and to begin healing from these recent racial incidents.

In solidarity,

Mary Frances Early College of Education Faculty Senate members

Action steps

• Create justice-focused curriculum for College faculty and students on working across racial boundaries
• Develop a more robust and mandatory equity-minded training program for members of search committees
• Develop best practices policies for UGA and Athens groups on ways to be anti-racist and incorporate such behaviors in classes and groups across UGA and public schools
• Develop curriculum schools can use to incorporate kindness, empathy, ethics in student behaviors