The events of the past several days have left our nation, our neighborhoods and the campus community reeling with grief and pain. We mourn the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many other black Americans killed by racially motivated violence.
We stand united with all those fighting against social injustice.
Through this, we must take this time for self-reflection and reevaluation of what we as an institution of higher education can do to make a difference. How do we turn our anguish to purpose? What next steps can we take now to help change structural barriers and inequities in our society, but also on our own campus? Clearly, we must work together to find answers and a path forward.
To advance that work at Chapman, the university is taking several immediate actions. None is a solution by itself, and to be sure, many more must follow. But together we can learn, listen and move forward. To start, we want to share several programs, resources and activities in the following list to help support us all in that effort.
Join the Dialogue
- Attend: A virtual Vigil for Victims of Violence and Racism, and a Call to Action on Friday, June 5, at 11 a.m.
- Join: Turning Anguish to Purpose, a town hall discussion on Tuesday, June 9, at 2 p.m.
Get Active
- Support: Campus organizations committed to delivering solutions:
- Engage: Jerry Price, Ph.D., dean of students, is assembling a committee of students to review and evaluate the extensive diversity and inclusion initiatives in place and those planned. He will reach out to our multi-cultural student organizations for membership suggestions and look for several at-large members as well.
- Give: Your time or money are needed to support existing efforts across the country. Examples include the George Floyd Memorial Fund, the Audre Lorde Project, Black Women’s Blueprint, the California Conference for Equality and Justice,the AntiRacist Research and Policy Center, Minnesota Freedom Fund, the Black Visions Collective, Black Lives Matter, the Innocence Project, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the National Bail Out, and Orange County Human Relations.
Study and Learn More
- Contribute to the ongoing development of Chapman’s Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan as we work to become a better partner in the struggle for racial equality.
- Throughout the fall, Wilkinson will be partnering with other colleges, student organizations, and multiple instructors and courses to interrogate the significance of race through a virtual film series, virtual guest lectures and roundtables, a podcast series, art exhibit, and concluding conference featuring student research projects. Additionally, Honors is sponsoring a semester-long seminar on “Institutional Racism in America,” building on the work done by one of our own Trustees, Andy Horowitz.
- Explore Civic Engagement Initiatives for more ideas. Learn how to write a letter, invite legislators to speak at an event and hold peaceful protests. Read more about what we can do as a community.
- If you’re a student, consider enrolling in the new Africana Studies Minor launching this fall in Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. All can watch for upcoming and speakers associated with this program.
Support Services
- Cross-Cultural Center, crossculturalcenter@chapman.edu
- Dean of Students Office, dos@chapman.edu, (714) 997-6721
- Justin Riley, associate Director of Student Community Support and Development, juriley@chapman.edu, (714) 997-6671
- Rev. Dr. Gail Stearns Dean of the Wallace All Faiths Chapel, stearns@chapman.edu, (714) 628-7289
- Student Psychological Counseling Services, spcs@chapman.edu, (714) 997-6778
