Columbia School of Social Work: Anti-Racism Action Plan.

In June of 2020, the CSSW Council of Deans came together and issued a joint statement condemning anti-Black racism in all its forms and committing not just to making statements, but to taking action. Our words at that time were prompted by countless horrific acts of violence and injustice against Black Americans, all against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic as it ravaged communities of color. We need to make good on our promise to enact change for the better at CSSW.

We must demonstrate the willingness to re-evaluate and re-imagine our policies and practices to make them anti-racist in every possible respect. We must reconsider every policy and practice and their effects on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and all people from marginalized groups.

Below is a “starter set” of commitments that the School leadership has developed and to which we hope the School community will endorse and expand. We welcome your feedback, changes, and new ideas. Please view this as a “living document” that will continue to evolve over time to respond to the circumstances of the moment and the needs of everyone in our community. We will add deliverables and timeframes to each item below as we finalize the list together.

CSSW COMMITS TO THE FOLLOWING GOALS AND STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE OUR CULTURE/ENVIRONMENT. Some are initiatives that have been completed or are ongoing, and others are works in progress, as indicated in the progress/timeline column.