From the IANR Vice Chancellor
Dear IANR community,
I am deeply saddened by the horrific and tragic murder of eight people in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday. While the perpetrator claims that the attacks were not racially motivated, it is hard to disentangle race from the scenario given that six of the victims were of Asian descent. I recognize that over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has seen a dramatic increase in violence and discrimination against those of Asian descent within our country. This, in combination with other unresolved racial tensions and exacerbated by the tragedy in Atlanta, has resulted in feelings of fear and unsafety that extend to our own campus.
The IANR senior leadership team is committed to creating an environment in which every person and every interaction matters. This includes standing up against hate. It includes being anti-racist. It includes recognizing that a tragedy occurring 1,000 miles from Lincoln affects those within our own community. My heart aches with all those who have been affected: the families and friends of those who lost their lives and those within the community (including our UNL community) who feel unsafe. I have a renewed commitment to make a difference so that IANR is welcoming, safe, and inclusive.
UNL offers professional assistance for anyone who feels this would be beneficial. Services include:
- The Employee Assistance Program, which available for all faculty and staff (https://hr.unl.edu/eap/).
- Counseling and Psychological Services, which offers therapy sessions at no cost to students (https://caps.unl.edu/).
- TIPS, an incident reporting tool for those who have experienced or witnessed discrimination or hate (https://www.unl.edu/tips-incident-reporting-system/).
For those interested in linking the recent anti-Asian violence to our anti-racism journey, please view these resources for a broader perspective:
- https://secureservercdn.net/104.238.69.231/a1w.90d.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/210312-Stop-AAPI-Hate-National-Report-.pdf
- https://www.ncfr.org/resources/resource-collections/resources-dismantle-racism-asian-american-community
- https://www.colorado.edu/asmagazine/2020/04/08/anti-asian-racism-and-covid-19
Sincerely,
Mike Boehm and the IANR senior leadership team