Sadly, this week we face another violent attack by the police against a Black man – Jacob Blake – who was shot seven times in his back as he tried to get into his car with three of his children inside. The system-sanctioned violence against Black men, women, and children is not new. We applaud the wildcat strikes in protest to continuing police violence against Black bodies within the NBA, the WNBA, MLB, and MLS – sparking the question for all of us: What can we do individually and as organizations to dismantle structural racism?

For the IFO, affirming that Black Lives Matter is a commitment supporting Black members of our union, institutions, and communities and to undoing the harm of systemic racism to work towards transformational change. We acknowledge and must continue to address the unique challenges faced by Black faculty, students, and staff in the Minnesota State System, in our State, and in our country. We acknowledge that MinnState campuses do not exist in racial vacuums. Black faculty, students, and staff are unjustly criminalized both on MinnState campuses and in our communities. We remain committed to pushing the Minnesota State College and University System and our elected leaders to affirm that Black Lives Matter and to take substantial steps to protect and empower Black lives, futures, and opportunities.