The Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR) will conduct all courses and co-curricular programs virtually during the Fall 2020 semester. Staff/Faculty are mostly working remotely during regular business hours (8:00 am - 5:00 pm). Students can request scheduled access to the office and library through their instructor or supervisor or via the Zoom check-ins through our calendar appointments link.
It has been seven days since four police officers in Minneapolis murdered George Floyd, an unarmed black man in broad daylight. In the last week, we have witnessed a global uprising coalesce in response to this extrajudicial murder of yet another innocent Black man in our country’s 400-year history of murdering Black folks. We have watched as our president has instigated increasing bellicosity and has threatened what amounts to martial law in response to the uprising. And we have witnessed all this while living through a pandemic of generational and global impact that has also disproportionately impacted some in our country more than others, particularly people of color and low-income folks.
Ever since the return from spring break, life has not been the same for University of Michigan students. My name is Smitty (they/them), a first-year RC-LSA student, and the Writer/Photographer Student Lead for IGR, MESA, and the Spectrum Center. As I work on finishing my first year, the new lifestyle brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has been a difficult one for me to navigate, along with focusing on my studies and managing my mental health. When news of the university switching to virtual classes was sent out, every day after that for the next couple weeks had been a whirlpool of information and anxiety as every department started planning next steps for the uncertain future ahead...
This season, think critically about which spaces are decorated for a holiday and how you can open conversations about the topic. Are you installing a Christmas tree in the office and playing Christmas music every day without thinking twice? Ask yourself the following questions when deciding whether to put up decorations or when you notice symbols in other spaces.
Elsa Ramesh and Hoai An Pham speak on the presence of microaggressions on campus, as well as the best practices to tackle them.
Alex Kime discusses the importance of dialogue around cultural appropriation and Halloween costumes.
