#BLM

We are facing difficult times — may it be difficult through protesting, grieving, or processing —as the voices of the unheard rise louder and speak out about the injustices in our communities. It is a pivotal moment in history, and we must all take this time to reflect and stand on the right side of history.

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As an organization founded on equality and diversity, we stand with the Black Lives Matter movement. In these times, we must all work together to engage with our communities, listen to Black voices, and confront racism where we see it. Academia as a whole is not free from systemic racism, and we must remember to do better each day. We must listen to those voices that are unheard and acknowledge our privileges head-on. Without this, we cannot make change to create a society that is mutually respectful to all people regardless of race, gender-identity, sexual orientation, or disability. We hope you are out protesting. If you cannot protest, we hope you are speaking out. If you cannot speak out, we hope you are reading and listening. We must all do the best we can each day to dismantle discrimination in all forms.

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We acknowledge in this Pride Month that Pride was a movement that began as a protest and a riot led by Marsha P Johnson, a black trans woman, and we acknowledge her work and role in the achievements we have made in LGBTQ+ equality. This year pride has taken on a deeper meaning of fighting for justice in all forms, specifically against anti-black racism and police brutality. We are not free until we are all free.

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Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. - MLK

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For the colloquium this week, we ask that you make a small donation to the charity of your choice, if you are able. For some examples you can find organizations that are: fighting anti-black racism (such as Black Lives Matter and NAACP); supporting bail funds for protesters (such as the National Bail Fund Network); memorial funds supporting families and communities (such as the George Floyd Memorial Fund, and the Justice for Breonna Taylor gofundme); and many more worthy causes. We recognize that we each have our own autonomous values and choices of where we each donate our money, and we ask you to find the organization that best meets your personal values. We do not restrict participation in the seminar based on donations, rather we simply call on each of you to take a moment to support your communities any way you can during this time of crisis.

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No Justice. No Peace.

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Women in Combinatorics
June 9, 2020

Dr. Erin Meger

Dr. Linda Lesniak

Dr. Kieka Mynhardt

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