Building an Antiracism Community
Learn about our antiracism community
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” (1963, Speech by the Reverend Marin Luther King at the March on Washington)
Meet CoSE's antiracism committee
Our Statement on Antiracism
CoSE’s Statement of Solidarity
In August 2020, following the social unrest activated by the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, the CoSE leadership issued a statement that we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement to eradicate racism, and made a commitment to work toward a vision for institutionalizing antiracism in the college.
Announcing a CoSE Task Force for Antiracism
The Context for the CoSE Taskforce on Antiracism
We stand against racism. Anywhere. Everywhere.
In August 2020, the creation of the CoSE Task Force for Antiracism was announced. The CoSE leadership, within that announcement, committed to transparency, yearly reporting, and an annual reaffirmation to “renew the commitment of the Science Council, including all new members, to our social justice and anti-racism goals.” (Announcing a CoSE Task Force for Anti-Racism, 2020). The task force membership was formed November 2020, reflecting diverse identities of multiculturalism, including race/ethnicity, gender, and positions (students, staff, faculty).
CoSE Mission and Vision
We commit ourselves unreservedly to the dismantling of racist, inequitable and harmful structures.
Mission: To build an antiracist, inclusive, multicultural, and equitable CoSE community.
Vision: To deconstruct a racist structure by constructing and institutionalizing an antiracism CoSE structure sustained by policies, practices, and commitment that executes the mission.
More about CoSE Mission and Vision
A Strategic Action Plan
Building an antiracist, inclusive, multicultural, equitable and diverse community: The Antiracism Strategic Action Plan
The Strategic Action Plan serves as the guiding document for CoSE aligning with the mission and vision of fostering a climate of care, inclusiveness, respect, and acceptance within a multicultural community of faculty, staff and students. The primary focus of this comprehensive plan is the eradication of systemic racism, reflecting CoSE’s commitment to creating an environment to dismantle racist structures. Importantly, the plan is designed to be dynamic and "living," allowing for the continuous modification of objectives and actions to address the evolving needs and goals of CoSE.
Implementing the Strategic Plan
Inaction is No Action
“More than likely, because of its ingrained historic and continuous perpetuation, we will not eradicate racism in its entirety — however, we have a choice. We can sit back and do nothing and let this racist destruction continue or we can actively do something by creating an anti-racist community within CoSE.” (Harris, New assist dean dedicated to nurturing an antiracist culture, from Rajan, SF State News, August 2, 2023)
Five priorities to prevent inaction
References and Resources
The references used for creation of the Strategic Plan and a list of resources to help build an antiracism community
Need Support?
If you have experienced racism or other bias-related incidents on campus or during campus related events, report any incidents or seek advice from the University Ombuds, or the Bias Incident Education Team. Reporting incidents of racism, no matter the extent, is important to understanding the degree of the need for change and appropriate actions to promote and support necessary anti-racism efforts.
Antiracism Contact
Are you interested in taking action or getting involved in the CoSE Antiracism Committee as a faculty member or student? Contact us at coseantiracism@sfsu.edu.