The Department of Counselor Education, School Psychology, & Human Services (CSH) wish to express our sincere support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement. As helping professionals ourselves, we understand the deep harm that metastatic anti-Black racism causes society and the individuals we serve.

Black Lives Matter

We are horrified by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Freddie Gray, Elijah McClain, Tanisha Anderson, and so many others. As a department founded on a commitment to social justice, CSH is dedicated to supporting the BLM movement, to providing anti-racist education, to advocating for increased access to mental health and healthcare resources (especially for marginalized members of our society), and to supporting our students who have suffered from racism, discrimination, oppression, and/or violence. Every program in the department has reached out to students in support of BLM and acknowledging the trauma our students of color feel as a result of the direct and vicarious experience of such horrific acts perpetrated on black human beings.

Anti-Racist Education

CSH is committed to anti-racist education. We hope to exemplify this through our strategic commitments as a department, through the coursework and training in our academic programs, by collaborating with community efforts to end racism/discrimination, and through examples as individual faculty. We recognize that there are issues of discrimination, lack of equitable access to education, and discriminative policy in healthcare and education and stand in opposition to this racism. We echo the call to antiracist education made by the COE Leadership: Copy of A Call to Antiracist Action for Education and our Community

Support for Students of Color

At CSH we are committed to our students. We see our students as “whole human beings with complex lives and experiences rather than simply as seekers after compartmentalized bits of knowledge” (hooks, 1994, p. 15). Unfortunately, for our students of color some of those experiences include encountering discrimination, oppression, and marginalization - both systematically and interpersonally. We are committed to honoring our students by allowing them to speak the truths of their experience. We as a department recognize the very large emotional toll that racialized trauma can have on individuals and we encourage our students of color to take time and space for healing through self-care and personal wellness. We hope to create a climate that views student voice as educationally enriching and protected against retaliation.

Action

CSH recognizes the importance of action in support of the beliefs we described above. Toward this objective, CSH Faculty have been meeting regularly this summer to discuss these important issues, confront our own need for personal/professional growth, and strategize actions the department might take. Please be watching this department website for forthcoming educational, advocacy, and improved climate activities.