Solidarity Statement

June 5, 2020

The faculty and staff of UNM’s Honors College join other Lobo voices decrying the racism and anti-black actions that have impacted our campus and country. We mourn the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other victims of centuries-long systems of oppression and violence fueled by ideologies of white supremacy.

We echo the call for justice in response to these killings, we support the vital right to protest peacefully in the face of inequities and suppression, and we recognize the role that privilege has played in creating structural biases in America and in other countries. We acknowledge and share the pain and grief that many in our university community, city, state, and nation are experiencing. We stand in solidarity with and support Black communities, the Africana Studies Program at UNM, and all students, faculty, and staff of color in our college and on this campus.

We further acknowledge the tremendous work involved in creating real change, and we pledge our resources in support of creating needed change. We remain committed to continue learning and evolving. We strive to make Honors at UNM a place for all students, faculty, and staff to explore, learn, ask questions, and actively contribute to a more socially just society.

Sincerely,

Honors College Faculty and Staff

Solidarity Statement [pdf]

NCHC Statement on Social Injustice

The deaths and mistreatment of Black people in police custody and the targeting of ethnic groups during the COVID-19 pandemic have heightened the nation’s awareness of systemic racism and injustice in our society and justifiably led to ongoing concern and dialogue within the NCHC community.

Thus, as the members of the NCHC Board of Directors and National Office staff, we affirm our support and solidarity for all victims of systemic racism, discrimination, bias, and prejudice, as well as for the people who defend said victims.

Acknowledging that words mean little without accompanying actions that foster and facilitate transformation and growth:

We recognize that to enable change, we need to increase our opportunities to listen and invite discussion with our membership. We acknowledge that enduring change will not happen until everyone is engaged, whether at the level of self, community, campus, country or world.

We remain committed to fostering inclusion and belonging for all within the organization and honors community and are determined to implement our strategic initiative of diversity and inclusion. NCHC's staff and leaders pledge to continue training in organizational diversity and both anti-racism and anti-discriminatory practices, ensuring that NCHC’s dedication to this work is enduring and effective for all members.

We will continue and increase our efforts to find, develop, and make available to our membership resources that assist in anti-racism and anti-discrimination discussions and practices designed to create a more inclusive and equitable organization and honors community.

NCHC's community is built around sharing honors pedagogy and practices that lead and innovate. As we continue to promote and expand diversity and inclusion efforts among and for our honors colleagues, we encourage consistent and continued conversations that lead to action. We invite you to utilize NCHC resources to share the work in which you are engaged in your programs and the changes you are promoting locally. In this way, we can create successful models of transformation from within the national honors cohort to build a more equitable future.

Thank you for the work you do as honors leaders, advocating for needed change to support and celebrate the dignity and freedoms of all people everywhere.

Signed,

NCHC Statement on Social Injustice and Resources [pdf]