Department of Sociology and Social WorkCollege of Letters and Science

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Social Justice Statement of Solidarity with Racial Equality Movements from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Sociology and Social Work Faculty

UWSP Sociology and Social Work faculty members raise our voices in solidarity with movements like Black Lives Matter and other struggles to end the dehumanization of people of color and to promote equitable and humane treatment for all people.

This dehumanization, which is pervasive in our culture and societal institutions, leads to the continuation of systemic violence and human rights violations upon communities of color. Among the many examples of this dehumanization we note:

• The institutional racism within our criminal justice system that disproportionately impacts communities of color and the persistent disparities in housing, education, income, wealth, health, and employment that are caused by public policies and private practices that actively privilege white people and disadvantage people of color;
• Language that demonizes people of color, disregards basic civil rights for individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness, vilifies immigrants and migrant workers as "illegals," and racial slurs and racist images of American Indian people as mascots for athletic teams;
• The gutting of the Voting Rights Act by the U.S. Supreme Court and efforts by states to pass voter suppression legislation that will disproportionately impact African American voters.

As the Sociology and Social Work Department, we are dedicated to promoting social and economic justice, human rights, and a trauma-informed perspective, we strive to:

• Be agents of change for racial justice, from local to global communities, through our teaching, research, and community service;
• Promote critical dialogues within and beyond our school about how racism and other forms of structural oppression and structural inequalities affect us, our relationships, our organizations, and our communities;
• Acknowledge that silence and inaction contribute to the maintenance of ongoing institutional racism and other structural inequalities;
• Support UWSP community members' participation in direct social and political actions that promote human rights and racial and economic justice;
• Strengthen the curriculum by deepening content and expanding curricular offerings focused on advocacy, community organizing, restorative justice practices, and intergroup dialogues.

To learn more from our academic and professional disciplines at the national level, visit these links:

National Association of Social Workers Statement on Racial Equity: https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Ethnicity-Race/Racial-Justice

American Sociological Association Statement on Systemic Racism: https://www.asanet.org/news-events/asa-news/asa-condemns-systemic-racism-criminal-justice-system

American Sociological Association Resource on Race, Police Violence, and Justice: https://www.asanet.org/news-events/asa-news/resources-race-police-violence-and-justice

Signed by:

Helena Alden, Tara Anderson, David Barry, Lindsay Bernhagen, Maggie Bohm-Jordan, Jess Bowers, David Chunyu, Dorothy De Boer, Ann Herda-Rapp, Kate Kipp, Margaret Kubek, Shuang Li, Laurie Simonis, Amy Zlimen Ticho.