Statement on Systemic Racism and Racist Violence

June 12, 2020
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The Ukrainian Research Institute condemns all forms of racism and racist violence, including recent instances of police brutality that unjustly have taken the lives of Americans.

We echo the words and sentiments of our colleagues at the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies and at Harvard, who affirm the need for scholarly institutions to create safe, inclusive environments and intentionally seek ways to empower vulnerable peoples, amplify marginalized voices, and encourage greater diversity within our fields.

Inspired by protests and calls for greater reflection on systemic inequality, we are focusing on active measures we can take to include and magnify the voices of scholars of color, to examine topics pertaining to racial justice within our field, and to take anti-racist action as individuals and as members of HURI.