The Department of Geography at Miami University condemns all acts of racism and racial injustice, and we stand in solidarity with the protests against systemic racism and police brutality. We stand with the Black Lives Matter movement in achieving justice and equality through active democracy, and commit ourselves to be actively anti-racist. We recognize Geography and other disciplines as inextricable from systemic racism and condemn its role in facilitating and perpetuating colonial expansion and racialized hierarchies. We recognize the lack of diversity within Geography, and wholly commit ourselves to building a diverse and anti-racist academic community. We are committed to intentionally incorporating course materials that represent a wide range of views and backgrounds, with an emphasis on the underrepresented, and recognize our duty as educators and researchers to speak up and elevate the voices of oppressed and marginalized communities. We believe to remain silent, even as the realities of systemic oppression are laid bare, is to be complicit in their perpetuation and in direct opposition to our pledge of Love and Honor.
We believe in the role and responsibility of public institutions of higher education to address the most pressing challenges facing our world. Our world, our community, and our campus are riddled with racial inequities that for too long have been passively accepted as intractable realities. We affirm that a more racially equitable world is possible. We commit ourselves in the classroom, in the culture of our department, across campus, and in our communities to be agents for racial and social justice. As such, we need to:
recognize that people of color including Black, African American, and African faculty, staff, and students in the Department have been treated with prejudice and we commit to roles and responsibilities to make that change.
commit to increasing our people of color (including Black, African American, and African) majors and grad students, including fundraising for a dedicated scholarship and funded research assistantships for undergraduate and graduate students.
commit to increased diversity in faculty and staff--specifically Black, African American, and African and other people of color future colleagues. This includes supporting research and scholarship for tenure-track faculty, and advocating for hiring tenured and/or permanent positions.
