Representing All Minorities in Solidarity (R.A.M.S.)

Warner College of Natural Resources stands with all those who are facing the dire impacts of systemic racism in the United States. Among our College’s principles and goals are intentional and strategic efforts to ensure our community is inclusive of all, helps to diversify the natural resources fields we serve, and helps to dismantle the structures of systemic racism that impact many members of our community. This page is intended to serve as a space to promote our efforts and to Represent All Minorities in Solidarity (R.A.M.s).

Warner College’s Response to the Current National Crises

Greetings,

Tragically, this message comes at a time of immense tension in our country. Since the end of the spring semester there have been at least three significant incidents in which African American men were unjustly targeted and killed, and a number of other incidents targeting black trans individuals and black women. During the past year we have also witnessed the mistreatment and targeting of Latinos and undocumented peoples, bias motivated attacks on Asians at the outbreak of COVID-19, and injustices directed toward other underserved communities and marginalized people.

Many in our community are deeply affected by these situations and are overwrought with the ongoing nature of the untenable and unjust tragedies that have now reached a crisis point for the entire nation. Warner College would like to express its support to all those impacted by the terrible events we are experiencing.

Together, we must take action to ensure we can continue building community amidst division. We need to be prepared for engaging in tough dialogue. We need to strive to ensure that our hearts go out to our current faculty, staff, and students who have been impacted by these tragedies, to express that we are in solidarity with them, and to build tangible ways to support them. The stresses imposed are compounded and repeated over and over again for many in our community, and this is taking place at a heightened level today because of the ways the pandemic both exposed and amplified racial and socioeconomic issues.

As a small step toward addressing these challenges, I invite Warner College faculty, staff and students to a virtual town hall to discuss TANGIBLE & PROACTIVE ways we can support our community and effect change on the levels we have efficacy in.

Warner College Town Hall Tuesday June 9thfrom 12:30-2pm MST. 

I hope that we can come into space acknowledging the deeply felt pain many are feeling and move beyond our feelings to action. WE should come with the expectation of sharing how we intend to hold ourselves accountable and listening to how others expect their colleagues to show support. WE need to come with anticipation to be the exemplars of why diversity and inclusion within natural resources is important by first demonstrating our commitments to it in our own lives.

We are a community that can come together to discuss ways to be advocates and allies. We must set ourselves up for consistent action on these issues, not just to react when they boil over and dominate the news. Racially motivated and hateful incidents occur each and every day. A great many are not in the news. We will continue to be reactionary and late to change until we become intentional and learn how to advocate within our own community.

Please make educating yourself and others in being an advocate for change within your classrooms, communities, neighborhoods, and workspaces a priority. In that way, we can ensure that we are standing in solidarity with the people of color we share those spaces with in an authentic and meaningful way. Despite everything all of us have going on our lives currently, there has never been a more important time to emphasize our personal commitments to inclusive excellence.

I will bring additional resources and information to the town hall. Let us come to the town hall meeting with productive ways in which we can BE the CHANGE in order to GROW!

WE ARE WARNER!

Rickey Frierson, PhD

Director of Diversity and Inclusion

Warner College of Natural Resources 410H

Office: 970-491-3258

Virtual Town Hall Meeting for faculty and students; A discussion amid unrest: actions for allies and space for solidarity June 9 12:30 Link in your CSU email