The Anti-Bigotry Coalition consists of graduate students from different departments at the Washington University in St. Louis. We were inspired by the many protests in the wake of George Floyd's murder and others before him to call on the university to enact changes that we believe will put the university on a better path to ensure equality among its students, faculty and staff members.
What are we fighting for?
The Anti-Bigotry Coalition is calling on the university to take actions that will 1) advance Black liberation and bolster equal opportunity, 2) create a culture of true inclusion which values individuals, 3) provide accountability for and remove individuals who perpetrate harassment, abuse, and bigotry, and 4) protect individuals who report abuses, bigotry, and harassment.
Why are we fighting for this?
We must hold WashU accountable for the promises made in its action plan, which were recently reaffirmed by Chancellor Martin. It is important to first face the fact that bigotry exists at WashU. This fact is evident in the low percentage of BIPOC in faculty positions, notably only 8%of faculty are Black, 4% are Hispanic/Latinx at Danforth and 3% faculty are Black, 3% Hispanic/Latinx at the medical campus, with similarly low percentages seen among post-doctoral fellows. The census estimates that 13.4% of the population identifies as Black or African American while 18.5% identify as Hispanic or Latinx. This disparity is unacceptable and requires top-down, structural changes to fix.
From the beginning
Where we are now
We started off as a group of 5 students
Frustrated with current university practices behind climate
Gained the support of multiple campus organizations
Submitted our signed petition to university leadership
Working with university leadership to implement changes through the ADEI