We, at Union, over the course of our 187-year legacy, guided by our Christian and interreligious values, have always been deeply committed to creating a more just society. Guided by our Christian and interreligious values over the course of our 187-year legacy, we at Union have always been deeply committed to creating a more just society. Compelled by these values and with a commitment to aligning our external and internal values, Union establishes a committee for Justice, Inclusion and Equity (JEI).
We acknowledge that Union’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging work is a direct outcome of the voices of Black seminarians at Union. We specifically thank the Black Caucus, Black Women’s Caucus, and Fierce Caucus for their courage in initiating the work of what would become the Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
We also thank Union’s Racial Justice Taskforce for their leadership in guiding our racial justice work.
As President, I once again reiterate my commitment to engaging myself and our community in the difficult conversations necessary to confront white supremacy and racism in all forms at Union while centering our religious values of caring for our most vulnerable and impacted communities. This is a multi-year process through which we will build a strong foundation to address inequities and injustices experienced by the diverse members of our community. Together, we will work towards cultivating a proactive anti-racist culture and institution that champions justice and equity both within and outside Union. I also thank our board of trustees and our senior leadership team for their commitment to this necessary and important work.
Most importantly, we thank our entire Union community for joining us as we engage in this transformative journey to create a more just, equitable, and inclusive Union. We recognize that we are all coming to this conversation from different places – this is only the first step of a multi-year process that will include opportunities for smaller group discussions to delve deeper and in more meaningful ways into the conversations and actions that will bring about this transformation.
This is just the beginning – there is a tremendous amount of work that we need to engage in together over the next several years. Some of our conversations will be more difficult and challenging than others, and I ask all of us to be steadfast in our commitment to this necessary work and to be thoughtful, reflective, and willing to act on what we collectively learn on this journey together – these conversations guided by our religious traditions are essential to ensuring that we can foster a Union community that is a just, equitable, and inclusive community for all. Thank you.
Peace,
President Serene Jones