RBS IDEA Office Statement of Solidarity

RBS Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access

The RBS Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access (RBS IDEA Office) wants to state unequivocally that Black Lives Matter!

We stand with the Black Business Association (BBA), Black Organization of Students (BOS), and the broader RBS and Rutgers community demanding much-needed reform. We express our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have suffered from police brutality and hate crimes, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, and countless others.

The RBS IDEA Office recognizes that racism, inequity, and injustice exist all around us. We support Dean Lei’s Call to Action and declaration; “We will not back down from doing what is right.” In addition to existing programs and initiatives aimed at eliminating social inequities, educational barriers, and access impediments, we are also committing ourselves to:

  1. The expansion of existing work with partners like Newark Public Schools, New Brunswick Public Schools, Franklin Township Public Schools, and other underserved K-12 districts across New Jersey. In so doing, the RBS IDEA Office also commits to raising more awareness about RBS’s commitment to supporting communities of color with affordable degree programs tied to opportunity.
  2. Continuing and expanding cultural competency education across RBS
  3. The creation of a Faculty/Staff Service-Learning initiative that promotes direct engagement with K-12 students in communities of color.       
  4. Creating a resource repository around racial injustice and how it manifests in the business community, to be shared through the RBS IDEA Office website.

As we progress through these challenging times, RBS has not and will not be silent. To do so would undermine our vision, mission, and principles to which we hold fast. Systematic racism, inequity, and unfairness against Black people and other historically underrepresented minorities are both wrong and bad for any business. We hold steadfast in building an inclusive environment, welcoming diverse backgrounds, thoughts, and perspectives, while seeking to create a better world that champions peace, compassion, and kindness for all.

We are motivated to do our part in the struggle!

 

Sincerely,

RBS Office of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access team