The Student Support and Advocacy Center wants to acknowledge and say the names of
#TonyMcDade, #GeorgeFloyd, #BreonnaTaylor, #AhmaudArbery and so many other black people who have been murdered.
We want to acknowledge the systematic oppression and trauma our black students and colleagues face every single day in our community. We believe and stand with the Black Lives Matter movement. We believe that the Student Support and Advocacy Center must be a part of the work to support black students and colleagues and address systemic racism in our community and on our campuses. We will do this by supporting the work of offices such as the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Multicultural Education and the Women and Gender Studies Center as well as all other units supporting black students and colleagues. However, this is not just the work of diversity offices. This is our work. At the Student Support and Advocacy Center, we commit to partaking in the deep and important work to support racial justice.
We will do this by working to understand our privileges. We will do this by promising not to burden our black colleagues to educate us, but instead by actively engaging in this work and by listening and supporting initiatives and programs shared by black voices. We will lift up black voices because they deserve to be heard because black lives matter. We will do this by being vocal and active in conversations and movements that support the Mason black community. We will do this by devoting time and resources to educating ourselves about the needs of our black students and students of color. We will do this by centering the voices of black scholars, students, practitioners, and survivors in our community as we work to be a part of creating an inclusive university community.
We understand these incidents have an impact on an individual’s mental health and overall sense of security. We encourage our Mason community to support each other during these difficult times regardless if individuals are publicly struggling or not. We encourage individuals to utilize Mason resources such as our Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and local support services in your area. If you are in need of support and are unsure of where to look, please contact us.
One of the Student Support and Advocacy Center’s values is inclusion and we stand in solidarity with those affected during these difficult times.
We are here for you!
The SSAC Staff