Utah Statesman Editorial: Racism in America

In light of the events of the last month, we want to specifically address how we view the Statesman’s role moving forward.

First and foremost, we affirm our stance against racism and prejudice in any form, whether it arises from an individual, organization or system. Black Lives Matter.

While we cannot claim to fully understand the roots of institutionalized racial and economic inequities that have led us to this moment, we recognize our responsibility to facilitate conscientious and respectful dialogue. This is especially true when approaching discussion of civil rights in a country whose past is rife with gross missteps on the path to equality.

We are part of a larger community of professionals and academics, students and teachers, who carry with them diverse perspectives and understandings of the world around them. As an editorial board, we feel it is our responsibility to honor the community we serve by telling its stories and giving “voice to the voiceless.”

Our obligation is to honestly, accountably and transparently represent the current climate we are operating within. We commit to using our reporting to hold those in power accountable and give voices to those we may not hear from often enough. We commit to listening to and learning about the experiences of Black people in our community and our nation.

As students, we know that learning is an ongoing process that does not end with a single class, a single job or a single article. It requires work. At the Utah Statesman, we will be introducing implicit bias training for our employees.

We also extend the invitation to those in the USU community to speak up and tell their stories. Our ears and our inbox are open: editor@usustatesman.com or opinion@usustatesman.com.

Letter to the Editor guidelines can be found at https://usustatesman.com/letters-to-the-editor/.

Lastly, we would like to encourage our readers to go to the source of many of these conversations. There are many individuals and organizations that are pioneering these discussions and we would like to prioritize informed discourse in this historic time. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, we recommend this series of TED Talks.

Here are some additional on-campus resources that may be of use at this time:

• USU Office of Equity: https://equity.usu.edu/
• USU Black Student Union: https://www.usu.edu/inclusion/clubs/bsu
• USU Inclusion Center: https://www.usu.edu/inclusion/
• Aggies Think, Care, Act: https://thinkcareact.usu.edu/
• Report a Student of Concern: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UtahStateUniv&layout_id=4
• A Message from USUSA President Sami Ahmed: https://www.usu.edu/today/story/a-message-from-ususa-president-sami-ahmed
• Statement from James Morales, Vice President of Student Affairs: https://studentaffairs.usu.edu/
• Message from President Cockett: https://www.usu.edu/today/story/message-from-president-cockett