To the Case Western Reserve Community:
Last week’s killings of eight people—six of them Asian American women—has intensified the already-pervasive fear and distress of people of Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander descent around the country—and on our campus.
Case Western Reserve students from these groups have reported feeling unsafe and, in some cases, recounted racist incidents they have personally experienced during their lives. As heartbreaking as this information is, it should not surprise: On the same day as this tragedy, the national coalition Stop AAPI Hate issued a report that tallied nearly 3,800 incidents received by its center between mid-March of 2020 and the end of last month. The math works out to nearly 11 incidents a day—and those are only the ones that a single organization received.
Tomorrow evening, the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences is devoting its regular virtual town hall meeting to a campus-wide session on this issue.
The 5:30 p.m. event will include discussion of the roots of the increased attacks, resources for advocates, and support available from University Health and Counseling Services. The hour-long meeting also will offer 30 minutes of facilitated conversations within break-out rooms. You must register in advance with your CWRU email to get the link to attend.
We encourage you to attend, and also to read the statement of support that two dozen campus units and organizations issued March 10; it details additional resources and opportunities to engage.
In a message earlier this month, we referenced the You Are Welcome Here campaign that launched four years ago and renewed last spring. As important as such efforts are, they alone cannot bring us closer to becoming a truly diverse and inclusive community. Realizing that goal requires action, not only at the university and school level, but also by individuals. Speak out against hate. Express support for those experiencing discrimination. And listen, really listen, to others’ words and your own.
We all have more to learn—and to do.
Scott Cowen
Interim President
Ben Vinson III
Provost and Executive Vice President