Georgia State faculty demand greater diversity and inclusion

The ongoing national discussion about racial discrimination has started a debate at Georgia’s largest public university among faculty and administrators who say the school must improve in some areas of diversity and inclusion.

Georgia State University has created a 17-member task force for racial equality. The group met Monday to discuss how its curriculum, community outreach and research can reduce systematic racism. The group’s goals are also to increase understanding and awareness of police violence and racial discrimination, along with and identifying how the school can better support underrepresented students, faculty, staff and community.

On Wednesday, faculty members sent a letter to president Mark Becker making several additional demands such as appointing more black faculty and administrators, establishing an African Studies Center, memorializing the African

American female students who ended segregation there and improving working conditions for black employees, noting statistics showing a disproportionate percentage of African Americans have died from COVID-19. The petition has more than 200 signatures.

“As Black faculty members, we declare our value as scholars, as teachers, as researchers, as mothers, as fathers, as sisters, as brothers, as children, as citizens, as human beings, and as African descended people,” the letter, dated Wednesday, said. “We do not know how this moment will evolve or what lies beyond it, but the words of Langston Hughes inspire and caution us about the dangers of dreams deferred. We will not prioritize cries for peace over demands for justice.”

Georgia State University has been praised by peers in recent years for its work in educating and graduating African American students. About 40% of its students are African American. Georgia State has nearly 54,000 students, the largest enrollment in the state.