AMHERST — Racist and hateful emails received by Black student groups, Black students and a campus office last academic year created a sense of unease on the University of Massachusetts campus.
While culprits responsible for those communications have not yet been identified, Rachael Rollins, the U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts, told the audience at a campus conference focused on promoting inclusion and standing against hate that her office is continuing to pursue those who committed the harmful acts.
“Everyone deserves to feel welcome in every crevice of this commonwealth,” Rollins on Sept. 14 to hundreds of people gathered in the Student Union Ballroom for the second day of the Justice, Equity, Diversion and Inclusion conference.
The conference is a kickoff for Belonging@UMass, a yearlong initiative that will feature events and activities that “aspire to create connections with new friends and colleagues, engage with a wide variety of campus resources, and learn about UMass Amherst’s commitment to equity, inclusion and belonging,” wrote Vice Chancellor & Chief Diversity Officer Nefertiti Walker in an email to the community.
A principal organizer of the conference, Walker said around 500 individuals, including faculty, staff, students and community members, registered to attend in person, while others are participating via a livestream.
All of the presentations, including several question-and-answer sessions with campus leaders, will be available for viewing on YouTube, and Walker noted that they can be used in future classroom instruction.
On the first day, participants formed breakout groups where they could talk about what they learned and interact with others, and answer questions such as what instructors can do to foster students’ sense of belonging, and how to grow a culture of inclusion and belonging.
UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy gave the keynote address on the second morning, calling the conference important because it is giving people the chance to speak freely, and to ensure that all voices are heard and that truth is pursued.
“Clearly, we have been quite intentional in defining a campus with justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and we now need to breathe life into our intentions,” Subbaswamy said.
Wednesday’s panel discussions began with Tricia Serio, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs and campus life, and Kirsten Britton, deputy athletic director for administration, elaborating on the work specific to “Inclusion in Action: How UMass Campus Leaders are Prioritizing Belonging.”
The panelists noted the increase in spaces for building community at UMass, the campus cultural centers, for inclusion, such as the Stonewall Center, and the implicit bias training and active bystander training for student athletes.
The other panels on tap were an examination of the results of a campus climate survey led by Emmanuel Adero, deputy chief officer for equity and inclusion, and a “United Against Hate” workshop in which representatives from Rollins’ office, as well as UMass Police and the FBI, discussed how collaboration between campus and investigators can lead to early detection of potential threats.
A 1994 graduate of UMass who captained the women’s lacrosse team, Rollins said some of her work now is to deal with racists and bigots who cloak themselves in the First Amendment. She suggested that any hate incidents on campus be documented immediately, as those learning at UMass deserve a safe place to live and study.
Rollins also noted her efforts to confront self-described white supremacist groups such as the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, which she said are about exclusion, and described the violence during the Jan. 6 insurrection and the carrying of a Confederate flag through the halls of the U.S. Capitol.
Rollins contrasted that with the Black Lives Matter movement, which she said is about inclusion, and has been at the forefront for the past 2½ years of drawing attention to combating racism, including the murders of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers and Ahmaud Arbery by vigilantes in Georgia, and the death of Breonna Taylor at the hands of police in Louisville, Ky.
Rollins emphasized that no one should be denied their rights to free speech and to bear arms.
“The First Amendment and Second Amendment rights belong to Black people as well, and we have to remember that,” Rollins said.