National and Campus Dialogue on Inclusion

March 1, 2017

The practice of inclusion—based in love, from a context of pluralism, and achieved through equity—holds incredible power to transform communities in the direction of social justice and structural compassion. Prophetic voices from communities of faith call for inclusion and love. However, our nation currently faces serious challenges to inclusion: the scapegoating of immigrants and refugees; manifestations of white supremacy and a rise in hate crimes nationally; and threats against Jewish community centers, synagogues, and desecration of Jewish cemeteries. Some see these realities in the context of national leadership transition, while others see historical continuity in our struggles—and often failures—to live up to the ideals of the Constitution and the call to love expressed by faith communities.

Students have raised voices in expressions of love and solidarity to advance human dignity regardless of religion, identity, or status. Yet, the forces that threaten inclusion manifest in our community, with swastikas recently found scrawled on bathroom walls on our campus. We all face our own challenges in practicing empathy, compassion, love, and justice. And as a university community, we hope to continue thoughtful dialogues in and outside the classroom about how we can join with others to resist forces of oppression, marginalization, and subjugation that can live in our hearts or manifest in our habits and assumptions.

Esteban del Río, PhD
Associate Provost for Inclusion and Diversity