Dear Hunter Community,
Today, we have seen the American judicial system function at its best, the way it was designed to work: with equal justice for all. Yet this is a solemn moment for all of us in the Hunter community—a beginning, not an end—because we know that the commitment to end race-based inequity, once and for all, must continue. The jury verdict in Minneapolis has confirmed that Black lives matter—in society and in the law.
We stand in full support of the verdict convicting Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the Floyd family. While we recognize the rightfulness of this legal outcome, we cannot forget that there is still a great deal of work to be done to end the historical legacy of racial injustices that permeates our criminal justice systems. As social workers, we remain steadfast in our commitment towards that end.
The Silberman Community
The Silberman School of Social Work community stands in solidarity with people across the USA and globally in mourning the Atlanta Spa murders of eight people, six being Asian American women. We voice our strong support to all those affected deeply by these heinous and tragic acts in Atlanta.
As Michelle Alexander notes, racism is highly adaptable in the United States. The rules and reasons the political system employs to enforce relations of any kind, including racial hierarchy, evolve and change as they are challenged.
Dear Silberman Community,
At a time when so many of our democratic ideals are yet again being violently desecrated, a global pandemic has taken nearly two million lives, and the need for racial justice is far too long overdue, we, as Social Workers, remain steadfast in our resolve to defend the values and ideals of our profession. As we begin the New Year with hope, we recommit ourselves to our core values in confronting social injustice, and respecting and valuing the dignity and worth of all individuals.
The Silberman Committee for Identifying and Disrupting Ideologies of Dominance (IOD) is committed to developing actions steps to identify and disrupt practices that uphold domination and subjugation of people in our school and practice communities. This initiative invites faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners to join in dialogues to explore how the Silberman Community can eradicate the impact of ideologies of dominance in our curriculum, student support efforts, public programming, and research, scholarship, and practice.
Dear Silberman Community,
As the end of 2020 draws near, I want to take a moment to give thanks for all that you have done to forge ahead so bravely through the extraordinary challenges of this year. It has not been an easy road to follow, as you endured unprecedented obstacles in your personal, social, academic, and professional lives. Feelings of pain, fear, and loss were far too common an experience for so many throughout our Silberman community.
Dear Colleagues and Students,
I am writing to update you on the actions we have undertaken as we hold ourselves accountable as an institution, and as a community, in creating a learning environment that fully integrates a just practice framework across our curriculum, field experiences, and community partnerships.
In June, we convened two faculty and staff meetings dedicated to this necessary work. These meetings were extraordinarily well-attended.
The International Education (PIE) Award program honors the contribution of US social work faculty members, social work students, and organizations as partners in advancing education for international social work. The PIE Award is given in recognition of conceptual, curricular, and programmatic innovations in education for international social work.
The members of the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College stand in solidarity with people throughout the United States and around the world in mourning the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Atatiana Jefferson. This senseless loss of life at a time when the official COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. has reached 100,000 defies our understanding.
Social workers must speak out against injustice and at the same time be self-aware to ensure that residuals of systemic racism as well as other ‘isms‘ that live in all of us are identified and addressed.
MSW student Fatmata Britton and BSW student Shannon Lubin did their field placements this year with Silberman’s PROVE program (Project for Return and Opportunity in Veterans Education). This innovative program, operating since 2007, helps student veterans connect to needed resources as they transition from the military to college life.