National Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the very best of what our nation aspires to be: a place that welcomes immigrants and their descendants, and celebrates multiculturalism, weaving diverse cultures and traditions into our national fabric for the betterment of all.
Category: Race & Equity
Ruling overturning Roe v. Wade will have significant impacts, but won’t change rights in Washington or at the UW
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, ushering in dramatic changes to reproductive freedom. It is profoundly distressing and concerning for many members of our community, including myself, and raises equally troubling concerns about what this may mean for other human rights that we believed were established and inviolable.
This Pride Month, let’s celebrate and continue the fight for equality
Pride Month is a chance to honor the work and achievements of LGBTQIA+ people who have led the fight for dignity, safety and equality and to celebrate our right to be our authentic selves.
Juneteenth is a day to celebrate Black liberation and continue the fight for equality
I encourage everyone to take the occasion of Juneteenth to celebrate Black liberation and reflect on what changes must take place for our nation and world to become equitable and inclusive. Through our shared commitment and effort, the journey toward Black liberation will continue.
Celebrating AANHPI Heritage Month and the promise of an inclusive nation
May is recognized as National Asian American, Native Hawai’ian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and it’s our opportunity to recognize the diverse Asian American (AA) and Native Hawai’ian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) people, cultures and communities whose stories and contributions have always been – and continue to be – a vital part of our nation’s life.
We can all play a part in working to end racist violence
As we grieve for the victims in Buffalo, we must examine our own responsibilities and capacity for reversing what has become a public health crisis.
Ending violence against Indigenous people starts with ending silence around it
As a society and a community, we share a responsibility to raise awareness and end the crisis of violence affecting Indigenous women, girls, LGBTQIA+, and two-spirit people. This epidemic demands attention, resources and action.
Celebrating women’s history requires honesty about the past
In honoring Women’s History Month, our task is to build on the progress that has been made, while reflecting honestly on the ways in which it has not always been equitable, and to ensure that our efforts going forward are truly grounded in equity.
Black History Month was always about Black history year-round
The academy has a responsibility to ensure that Black history is part of American history, including in our curriculum, as a foundational component of our commitment to advancing racial equity and combatting systemic racism.
This MLK Week, find your place in the movement
On Monday, Jan. 17, our institution will observe the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. We encourage all University of Washington students, staff, faculty and academic personnel to engage with the holiday in ways that are personally meaningful, and to consider what it means to infuse the values and ideas that Dr. King represented.