Program Statements

Race, Justice, and Equality

The Integrated Life Sciences program at the University of Georgia strongly agrees with and proudly supports the tenets recently expressed by Graduate School Dean Dr. Ron Walcott, Vice-Provost Dr. Michelle Cook, and University of Georgia President Dr. Jere Morehead regarding race, justice, and equality. ILS hosted its first Invitation to be Heard call via Zoom on Thursday, June 18, 2020, at 1 p.m. There was no set agenda for this meeting but there is a clear goal: Primarily, to hear from you and learn from you regarding graduate students’ perspectives on inequalities facing minority communities and how the Integrated Life Sciences program and the Graduate School at UGA can help and do better. The faculty and administration called the meeting not to talk, but to listen, and all life science graduate students were invited to attend. ILS and the Graduate School are planning to hold additional town hall-style meetings to continue to address issues of race, justice, and equality. If you were not able to attend the first meeting, please email ilsinfo@uga.edu to have our email added to our list of students.

The statement from Dean Walcott follows:

Dear UGA Graduate Students and Graduate Education Community,

I write with a heavy heart to express my sadness, pain and frustration over the tragic events of the past weeks. I also write to express my solidarity with you as we process and respond to these tragedies that challenge our sense of justice and equality. Like you, I watched in horror and then dismay as Mr. George Floyd was killed while in the custody of police officers. This comes on the heels of the killings of Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, Ms. Breonna Taylor and far too many others. To continue to ascribe these tragic deaths to the actions of few bad actors ignores the historical and systemic racism in our society and allows us to avoid the hard and painful conversations that must occur before we can make substantive and positive changes.

The spate of protests sweeping the nation is indicative of the accumulated frustration disproportionately experienced by some members of our society, especially those who are traditionally marginalized. By all means, express your frustrations by protesting and advocating for change as allowed for by our First Amendment rights. But your actions should not end there; I encourage you to have deep and honest conversations with your colleagues and neighbors about how the events of the past days, and systemic racism in general, have affected you and your communities. Genuine and constructive conversations are critical to the continuing struggle for justice and equality.

I also encourage everyone to become actively engaged in local governance, whether it be in Athens or your hometown. Vote for and support local political leaders who espouse the values that are aligned with yours and become advocates for those among us who do not have a voice. Find the most effective way to be a good ally to your colleagues, for example ask those who are underrepresented minorities how you can help them. Be respectful and patient and realize that, at this time, they may not want to engage. But if they do engage, listen carefully. Finally, remember that kindness, humility, and empathy are critically important for us to truly advance.

As we move forward, the Graduate School stands ready to support our community and to promote the reforms that are needed on our campus and in our society. In the immediate future, we will expand our efforts to facilitate and promote meaningful dialogue around race and equity, and we will continue to be a resource for our graduate education community.

Despite the turmoil that surrounds us in this moment, I maintain hope for a better tomorrow. My hope is buoyed by our wonderful and engaged graduate students and dedicated faculty and staff. Graduate students are the leaders of tomorrow, and I challenge you to be positive change agents for the future that you seek.

While the Graduate School remains physically closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, our staff members are accessible by phone or email. Please feel free to contact us if there is anything thing we can do to assist you during these difficult times.

Sincerely,

Ron Walcott
Interim Dean
Graduate School

The statement from Vice-Provost Cook follows:

Being Black in America has never been easy. While for many of us this goes without saying and is a glaring understatement, the events that have unfolded across our country over the past few weeks highlight this basic truth. I, like everyone else, have watched the news coverage, followed on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, the multiple images of violence, protest and healing, and have been a part of unending personal conversations with family and friends. And it has been exhausting. As a result, I have hesitated from writing or posting anything. I have felt overwhelmed and conflicted in my responses. I have also felt paralyzed by the weight of racism and racial violence, thus questioning what I could possibly add to this narrative. But, I now feel a compelling need to simply share my personal reflections. I speak only from my own experience as a Black woman, born and raised in the South. I understand voice.

I am an Atlanta native. To be clear, I am from southwest Atlanta, a place that throughout my childhood was a nurturing and affirming Black community. I moved daily in a world where everyone looked like me. Seeing iconic leaders such as Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson and Joseph Abernathy were common occurrences, from the grocery store to the gas station. One of my fondest, most vivid memories is being introduced to Daddy King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s father in a parking lot. Growing up in this world during my formative years, I deeply appreciate the power of representation, seeing oneself reflected in leadership and positions of authority, and existing in a space where you are not judged or evaluated based on race. I understand community.

I learned that I was Black, not physically, but politically and socially, when I was eight years old. This is when I watched “Roots” with my parents. I slept with them that week, laying quietly, praying that I would not be stolen during the night and enslaved…as I had no sense of the historical distance between myself and the legal end of slavery in the United States; a distance shortened by the fact that I represent the first generation in my family born with all of its rights. As a post-Jim Crow Black child, my upbringing was very different than that of my parents. I was raised with the familiar adages that many Black Americans were taught, such as, “you have to work twice as hard to be considered half as good,” because there was always the reality that regardless of personal accomplishment, racial prejudice would attempt to undermine your achievements. But, I was also taught that I was just as good as anyone else and that I could do anything and I could be anything that I “set my mind” to be. I understand hope.

Buried in a family plot in Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery, my paternal great-great grandparents were entrepreneurs, civically engaged and committed to the advancement of the race. My great-great grandfather was a blacksmith in Athens, providing a valuable service for University faculty, while not being able to imagine this institution for his own children. My maternal great-great grandparents were laborers in Athens, buried in unknown graves, with personal stories that history did not record. Fast forward to today, I work at an institution where my parents were not allowed to attend, because of their race. I stand on the shoulders of generations of ancestors, who made the daily decision to survive, so that I could live today. I understand progress.

“Windows down, hands on the seat in front of you, look straight ahead and no sudden moves.” This is the protocol that my family has in case we are stopped by the police while driving. Both my 6 and 11 year old daughters know this drill. Now, we are talking about George Floyd, and my daughter wants to know what she should do if she sees a white policeman. One of the girls suggested that she will just run and hide. I was stunned by her question and pained by her solution, but all I could say was, “Don’t run, never run.” Like every other black household, we are having these conversations on a daily basis right now, as adults try to parent in the midst of their own pain, anger and frustration. I sometimes find myself processing as I teach, until I am silenced by my emotion and tears. I understand survival.

There is so much that we understand as a result of being Black in America. So much that grows from the seeds of our individual experiences, unique perspectives and shared history. But, at this time, in this place, there are some things that I may never understand. I do not understand the impenetrable nature of racism. I do not understand why simple truths, such as Black Lives Matter are met with such resistance and fury. I do not understand why we continue to struggle to name racial violence and call it out. I do not understand why we are here once again.

The reality is that we will move beyond these troubling times in our history. We will exist on the other side of this pandemic. But, will we be better? Will we do better? Will we require better? In the midst of my anger, pain, frustration and fear, I choose to lean into optimism. I will lean into believing that there is a shared humanity that can transcend racism and racial violence. I will also lean into doing the work that is necessary to move us closer to this reality. So, when the protests have ended, the statements have been made and social media has moved on, will we remember how we feel during these difficult days? Will we stay committed to what we see so plainly right now? We must. We must also say the names of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd and many others, so that we never forget. We again are at a fork in the road of humanity, and our very future depends upon which path we take. Choose carefully, the stakes are high.

-Michelle Cook
Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Strategic University Initiatives

The statement from President Morehead follows:

Dear UGA Community,

I want to start by saying directly to each of you, I condemn racism in all of its forms. The senseless acts of violence and hate that are taking place across our country have no place in our society. To our black students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I want you to know that I stand with you. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, along with too many others, have caused grief and adversely affected our lives and the lives of those we care about in significant ways.

As these events have unfolded, I have worked with members of my administration to identify steps we can take to ensure that this institution is one where people are truly safe and supported. I want our University community to know that campus resources are available to support you. I encourage you to utilize them as needed to prioritize your wellbeing.

Again, I want to reinforce my firm belief that racism has no place in our society. During my presidency I have committed to working to create a UGA that is better tomorrow than it was yesterday. I know we don’t always get it right, and mistakes are made. However, together, we must continue to move this work forward in a constructive manner despite all the challenges. In the days ahead, let us move forward in seeking racial justice by engaging in thoughtful listening and constructive dialogue, showing care and understanding, and by demonstrating our ongoing commitment to do better while working together for a more united and just world.

Jere W. Morehead

President