In keeping with the Black History Month theme of my posts this month, I had an opportunity to talk with one of DU’s newest employees, Andriette Jordan-Fields, PhD, the first Black Community Experience Coordinator.
Recognizing this premise and DU’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the University will establish a Black Community Advisory Board, a board that will provide input and recommendations to Chancellor Haefner and University leadership about issues, policies, and actions that affect Blacks on DU’s campus.
In my last post, I talked about the origins of Black History Month as well as the opportunities we have to learn about the ongoing struggles of Black people, celebrate their achievements, and support the fight for justice.
In our continuing effort to recognize and honor the diverse community at the University of Denver, this month we celebrate Black History Month.
As February begins, we have an opportunity and renewed responsibility to learn and listen to the stories and achievements that have shaped our history and will illuminate our future. The month of February as national African American History Month had its origins in 1915 when historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, where we, as a global community, remember and honor the memory of the 6 million Jews and millions of others who were systematically murdered in the Holocaust by the Nazis and their collaborators.
The 2020-2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Action Plan committed DU to specifically support the Black community. Part of that commitment was to hire a Black Community Experience Coordinator to work in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) to facilitate the University’s response to the systemic and institutional exclusion of Black people at DU. Today, ODEI would like to announce the hire of Dr. Andriette Jordan-Fields to fill this role.
