Anti-Racism Statement

Racism leverages racial prejudice with social and institutional power to marginalize and discriminate against individuals based on race, skin color or ethnicity. We strive to be better than that. We, the members of the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, acknowledge that racism is embedded in our society, in science, and in our systems of higher education. We emphatically and unequivocally reject racism in all forms and support the implementation of the University’s Anti-racism Action Plan. As scientists and educators, we acknowledge that race is a social construct that is not based on biology, and are committed to interrupting racial disparities by developing and implementing holistic approaches to combat racism and ethnic oppression. We aspire to be a community where all individuals are equally valued and respected, and will work to actively promote anti-racism and to overcome individual, interpersonal and institutional racism by:

EXAMINING implicit bias and systemic oppression, and aligning our policies, practices, behavior, and attitudes to be anti-racist. Our shared responsibilities include:

• Learning about implicit bias and identifying our own individual biases
• Ensuring that departmental policies and practices adhere to equity and inclusion principles
• Engaging in difficult conversations on race and racism in our community
  • Periodically reviewing and revising the department’s curriculum to be culturally inclusive
  • Practicing self-awareness and self-reflection

EDUCATING ourselves on white privilege and developing a deeper understanding of the experiences of racialized people and the struggle for racial justice. These efforts include:

• Providing online and in-person training to all faculty, staff and students
• Taking part in different groups and educational forums, including the Department’s Diversity and Inclusion Journal Club
• Visiting the University’s website of relevant anti-racism materials and resources
• Attending UR-sponsored workshops and forums on diversity and racism
   

PRACTICING anti-racism consciously and engaging in efforts to eliminate power imbalances between racialized and non-racialized/White people in academia. Our individual and departmental commitments include:

• Being an advocate for others in lab meetings, social gatherings, and group settings
• Speaking up when we witness racism and hate speech
• Knowing how to access the University’s reporting process
• Notifying the Diversity and Inclusion Officer when policies are breached
• Partnering with Human Resources to ensure equity in hiring, promotion and retention practices
• Valuing individual contributions to diversity and inclusion efforts
• Implementing UR’s Best Practices in Hiring and providing faculty and lab managers with anti-racism training