06/17/2022
By Jacquie Moloney
Engaging this important conversation is a necessary step toward the hard work of addressing — and dismantling — systems of discrimination that unfairly burden underrepresented communities. Evidence of that discrimination is clear almost everywhere you look, including in health care and health outcomes among people of color.
Members of the Lowell City Council — at the urging of committed leaders of our city, community organizations and residents who courageously shared their lived experiences — unanimously voted to recognize racism as an immediate public health crisis this past Tuesday. The City Council’s declaration followed that of the Lowell School Committee.
UMass Lowell shares the beliefs and ideals that inspired this vote. It’s because we recognize the urgency of these efforts that the UMass Lowell community has engaged in a methodical process of introspection to help us identify a clear path toward a more inclusive, equitable university.
While the public health crisis identified by the City Council is not new — indeed it is hundreds of years old in this country — we can hope that recognizing it anew and calling it for what it is will continue to focus our thinking and efforts toward equity, fairness and justice.
Words are important. Language is important. I respect and appreciate the leaders of our city for taking this meaningful vote.