In Solidarity

In Solidarity

June 8, 2020

Letter from the Chair,

The UCSC Art Department honors the life of George Floyd and the lives of all those who have been murdered by systemic white supremacy. We stand in solidarity with Black students, staff, and faculty who are affected in multiple ways by the ongoing violence. We acknowledge the unearned privilege afforded to white members of our community. The Art Department commits to working tirelessly to implement a curriculum that prioritizes the artistic and intellectual work of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and all People of Color. We do this not only to meet the as-yet-unrealized fairness and accountability standards that UCSC publicly claims but because this is the work that needs to happen now. We have adopted hiring policies that align the racial makeup of our Art Department faculty with the diverse America that we see around us. The Art Department strives to actively create and maintain an educational environment in which African Americans thrive, succeed, and lead because Black Lives Matter. 

We acknowledge the UCSC Art Department is located within the unceded territories of the Ohlone peoples and on land originally inhabited by the Amah Mutsun tribal band.  

We must remember that the broader cultural history of California was, until 1848, Mexican, and Indigenous. We say this to connect the dots of multiple historical struggles that are still taking place as part of the slow arc of justice in the U.S.

Finally, we commit to updating this statement on an ongoing basis.

Sincerely,
Professor Elizabeth Stephens, Chair of the Art Department
Professor Dee Hibbert-Jones
Professor Laurie Palmer

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