Office for Equity and Diversity: Support for our Community

Minneapolis

Feb. 7, 2022

Dear students, faculty, and staff,

Our community has been responding to the killing of Amir Locke by a Minneapolis Police Department officer on February 2, 2022. The Locke family has lost a beloved member, and our community has lost yet another Black life. In Minnesota, we are still reeling from the deaths of Philando Castile, George Floyd, Daunte Wright, and a long list of others lost to police violence against our Black community. We join the calls for accountability, transparency, action, and change. 

The Office for Equity and Diversity (OED) and Office for Student Affairs (OSA) recognize the deep impact these traumatic events have on our community, particularly our Black students, faculty, and staff. We encourage you to access University resources available to you as needed and seek out communities that best support you. Links are provided below for your convenience. 

In addition, the Black Student Union is hosting an open discussion on the shooting of Amir Locke and police brutality in the Black community today, February 7, at 5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union, Room 209.

Many of us are tired, frustrated, angry, and exhausted by yet another senseless killing in our community. We encourage members of our campus communities to show extraordinary care for each other during these difficult times.

Sincerely,

Michael Goh, Vice President for Equity & Diversity
Calvin D. Phillips, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Resources

For Students

• Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence and Circle of Indigenous Nations
• Office for Multicultural Student Engagement
• Let’s Talk (virtual and in-person drop-in consultations with counselors)
• U of M Twin Cities Mental Health Resources
• Student Counseling Services
• University 24-Hour Crisis/Text Line
• Engage: Students’ rights to free expression

For Faculty and Staff

• Mental Health Resources
• Affinity Groups
• Diversity Community of Practice
• OED Resources for Faculty and Staff

For All

• BIPOC Mental Health Collective 
• OED Education Program and Resources
• Bias Response and Referral Network
• Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action