Jan/Feb 2023: Caitlyn Chambers

News

UC researchers continue to blaze new trails in science, medicine, business, education, engineering and the arts — literally transforming the way we live, work and learn.

Findings is the Office of Research’s newsletter, which began in October 2017. It delivers monthly updates to faculty, staff, students, and community partners about impactful research, initiatives, partnerships, events, and opportunities at the University of Cincinnati. To view current and previous issues of the newsletter, go to the Findings page.

Black Resistance: "Reflect and Take Action"

It is my great pleasure to bring in Black History month with you all, as we take the time to celebrate and reflect on this year’s theme of “Black Resistance,” reminding us of the importance of centering an understanding of our ancestry and lineage as an integral part of Black resistance work.

As we are faced with police brutality in America, Black maternal mortality rates, the debates around AP courses focused on Black History in Florida classrooms, and the killing of Tyre Nichols and countless other Black men and women, we must take a stand. Did you know Black people in Ohio are more than 4 times more likely to be killed by the police than white people — which is even more disproportionate than the national disparity? There is work to do! It is of utmost importance, now more than ever, that each of us confront and resist the systems, institutions, and rhetoric that continue to devalue Black Lives and Futures.

How do we achieve these goals in a system that is steeped in White normativity? We must go beyond DEI and attempt to dismantle institutional racism and encourage racial equity by assessing systemic biases. We must focus on equitable programming, syllabi, resource allocation, and policies and procedures. Furthermore, as researchers, we must strive to conduct research through an anti-racist lens by decentering whiteness and accounting for lived experiences of BIPOC participants, to name a few. This is not an exhaustive list.

As people, we must strive to do the work each and every day, in our classrooms, our labs, at work, at home, and in our communities. Currently, in the Office of Research, we are working on a dashboard and qualitative tool in hopes of highlighting access to funding and grants for BIPOC researchers to create a more equitable research community.

In celebration of Black History month, reflect and take action by learning about Black history, supporting Black businesses and artists, attending one of UC’s Black History events, and honoring and recognizing the Black excellence around you.