Honoring George Floyd: There’s still work to be done
As we mark the two-year anniversary this week of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, social workers everywhere are continuing to fight systemic racism.
The VCU School of Social work and professional organizations like NASW and NASW-Virginia support greater racial equity and multicultural competence among social work students, practicing social workers and their clients.
The School of Social Work is committed to standing against all acts of oppression, while acknowledging the particular role of anti-Black racism and white dominance within our communities. To live out this mission, we believe it is necessary to acknowledge the school and profession are interwoven with larger, historically rooted ideologies and structures of oppression, including white dominance. The school was founded at a time when Black and Indigenous people of color were excluded from the profession. The school aims to dismantle practices of oppression.
Our commitments include a statement on social and racial justice, as well as a number of school racial justice initiatives, foremost among them the Radical Alliance for Anti-Racism, Change and Equity (RAACE).
We encourage students, alumni, community partners, faculty and staff to seek out trainings through resources such as VCU’s IExcel Education and professional development opportunities such as NASW’s Online Continuing Education Institute.
Categories Community, Education, Students