Statement of Solidarity

The University of Alberta Department of Sociology stands in solidarity with anti-racist protests and movements for change in Canada, the U.S., and globally. We stand with Black Lives Matter and with black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) students, staff, instructors, and faculty members.

The department is part of an institution, a province, and a country whose history and present is marked by systemic racism, colonial injustice, and white privilege.

The department will work to address systemic racism, recognizing that we will sometimes fail but will always be accountable to BIPOC communities.

The department will develop and foster research, teaching, mentoring, and community relationships that engage with knowledges and experiences of structural racial and colonial inequalities.

The department will take active steps to learn about, name, and address where our own practices marginalize or exclude the knowledge and experiences of BIPOC individuals and communities.

The department recognizes that anti-racist work requires our collective and ongoing commitment and action and is prepared to engage in this process of change, including by contributing to University-wide efforts around equity, diversity, and inclusivity.