Dear HSOC-ers,
Many of us have been hurt, frustrated, angry, overwhelmed and much more in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, which has made visible once again the structures and intersections of white supremacy, economic inequality, gender, and death in the U.S. Over the last week, important calls for justice and affirmations of anti-racist principles, articulated by Black Lives Matter and other social movements, have pointed to how we might challenge these hierarchies in our institutional, political, and personal lives. We have also seen how inequalities are reproduced, often despite our individual intentions and wishes.
As we confront the layering of health, social, racial, and economic inequalities that have characterized this summer, I have been talking with other HSOC faculty about we can use our scholarly tools to empower our communities. How can we make sense, for instance, of the competing medical narratives that are being offered about the death of George Floyd? How can we understand the relationship between the COVID19 crisis - and the exaggeration of social inequalities that it has precipitated - and the ongoing protests?
We feel strongly that this is not only a time for reflection but also for action on a variety of fronts. We’ll be organizing an open coffee hour soon to hear from any of you who wish to share your thoughts and ideas for action, or even your anger or grief with us. Some of you are already taking action through volunteer work, activism, or intellectual work. Many might also have questions, need space to reflect or to draw support from others, or to process strong and sometimes complex emotions. Together, we hope to learn how we, as faculty, can support HSOC students and the broader communities of which we are a part.
We hope that by creating a space for collective and open discussion, we can reflect more deeply on how to incorporate the lessons of these events into our program. In the meanwhile, please know that we are thinking of you, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to any one of us if you need support or a listening ear.
In solidarity and community,
Projit Bihari Mukharji, HSOC Director, and the faculty