Dear SPH faculty, staff, and students:
One year ago today, Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis. Today, we honor Mr. Floyd and acknowledge the tragic truth that a murder such as his — a result of racism — is not unique. And although Chauvin was charged and convicted of his crime, we know this one instance of accountability will not prevent all future acts of racialized police violence.
Racism is embedded in every structure and system in our society. It is a powerful social determinant of health and it keeps individuals and whole populations from achieving the health and well-being they deserve. Racism has been declared a public health emergency or crisis by hundreds of local, state, and national leaders. If we, as a school of public health, are to truly live our belief that health is a human right, then we must expose and dismantle racism’s influence wherever we find it, including within our own school.
Last spring, we began strategic planning to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice. Over the past year, our school community came together to craft a five-year plan with clearly defined goals. After a period of review this spring by faculty, staff, students, and alumni, what we had been calling our strategic plan for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) became our strategic plan for antiracism, a name they felt more accurately reflects the plan’s stated actions. The plan will guide us as we fundamentally shift our views and way of working to actively and consciously challenge racism in every form — the definition of being antiracist. This summer, we will finalize and launch our strategic plan for antiracism and will continue launch efforts throughout the fall.
With our plan, we strive to transform our school to one where there is justice and equity for all, everyone has the same opportunity to contribute and thrive, and each person feels welcomed and respected. We, the members of the SPH Leadership Team and SPH DEI Action Alignment Team commit to consistent, tireless, and sustained action toward that vision as the foundation of our work.
The very visible murder of George Floyd and the outrage that followed may be pushing our country toward cultural transformation, one where racism becomes an aberration and justice is no longer a dream. For our school to achieve its own cultural transformation, we call on each person in our community to support our strategic plan for antiracism. We must, every single one of us, open our hearts and minds to a new way of being in order to lead our school to a brighter future.
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Signed,
Members of the SPH Leadership Team and SPH DEI Action Alignment Team:
John R. Finnegan Jr., Dean and Professor
Lauren Jones, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Professor and Head, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health
Elizabeth Wattenberg, Professor and Associate Dean of Education and Student Engagement
Marizen Ramirez, Professor and Associate Dean for Research
Craig Hedberg, Professor and Interim Head, Division of Environmental Health Sciences
Lynn Eberly, Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Joseph S. Koopmeiners, Professor and Head, Division of Biostatistics
Susan Rafferty, Chief of Staff
Sarah Bjorkman, Director of Communications
Timothy Beebe, Professor and Head, Division of Health Policy and Management
Joe Weisenburger, Chief Administrative Officer/Chief Finance Officer
Dana Carroll, Assistant Professor
Marta Shore, Lecturer
Sara Hurley, Assistant Dean of Learning Innovation
Vic Massaglia, Director of the Career and Professional Development Center
Janette Dill, Associate Professor
Emily Dunsworth, Assistant Dean of Recruitment and Enrollment
Emily McGuire, Student and President of the SPH Student Senate
Christina Worrall, Senior Research Fellow
Traci Toomey, Professor
Jess Kowal, Chief Development Officer
Robbin Frazier, Associate Director of Equity and Community Engagement
Jesse Berman, Assistant Professor
Gayle Smaller Jr., Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Diversity
Heidi Mastrud, Director of Alumni Relations
Tom Stanoch, Web Manager
Susana Carlos, MPH ’21
Colleen Flattum, Director of Programming and Strategic Initiatives
Tracey Kane, Assistant Director of Human Resources
Jennifer Porter, Assistant Dean for the Enrolled Student Experience
Ellyn Buchanan, Director of the Office of E-Learning Services
Kari Volkmann-Carlsen, Graduate Program Coordinator
Ginger Hughes, Operations Manager
