Focus on racial justice

Focus on Racial Justice

The senseless deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor — along with countless others — have sparked a worldwide focus on racial injustices and inequities that have long plagued our society. As a university dedicated to creating the future, Ohio State is committed to being an agent of change through our words and deeds. Our motto is “Education for Citizenship,” and Buckeyes are united in making a difference.

Ohio State is a comprehensive university, and our response to racial injustice and inequities is similarly wide ranging, with contributions to knowledge, understanding and action. In addition to steps being taken throughout our 15 colleges, our six campuses and the Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State has university-wide initiatives, events and resources.

Key initiatives, events, resources and statements

Events

Ohio State Diversity Impact News

All of the diversity, equity and inclusion stories relevant to Buckeyes on how The Ohio State University is making an impact on local, national and global levels.

Diversity Impact News

Initiatives

  • Task Force on Racism and Racial Inequities
  • Seed Fund for Racial Justice
  • Support for Citizens Review Board
  • Fight Against Disparities in Health Care

Read more about these initiatives

Resources

The Ohio State University offers a variety of diversity-related campus resources as well as Education and learning resources and Crisis response, counseling and support.

diversity related campus resources

Initiatives

Ohio State established a university task force to provide tangible recommendations to create a more equitable, healthy, supportive, and nurturing community. This 17-member group, which includes students, faculty and staff, will be engaging broadly with the Ohio State community to identify and propose action steps.

The co-chairs of the task force — James L. Moore III, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, and Tom Gregoire, dean of the College of Social Work — have committed to work that is focused on engagement and action. The task force has been asked to propose “serious, achievable action steps that will advance principles of and promote an equitable, healthy, supportive and nurturing university community.”

Other elements of the charge include hosting inclusive, candid conversations about racism; identifying aspects of Ohio State that contribute to inequities and differential outcomes; identifying effective practices that address these problems, and transcending prior approaches.

Vice Provost Moore and Dean Gregoire are working with the task force members to begin their work and develop a process that invites the broader Ohio State community to participate in the discussion.

“We will seize this moment by leveraging our Buckeye community to make lasting change. We are committed to engaging our Ohio State community and searching for meaningful action,” Vice Provost Moore and Dean Gregoire said.

See the task force website for the full charge and list of members.

The Office of Research has partnered with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to establish a $1 million fund to provide seed grants for interdisciplinary research and creative work that can contribute to the elimination of racism and solve its underlying causes and consequences. With an emphasis on impact, projects will be required to include substantive involvement of community partners.

The $1 million Seed Fund for Racial Justice has a clear call to action: “Ohio State has both the opportunity and the responsibility to lead reconciliation and drive transformational and sustainable change at this pivotal moment in our nation's history.”

The first set of grants will be awarded in December 2020. Ohio State will issue grants of up to $50,000 in two phases over the next two years.

To review the request for proposals and apply, see the Office of Research website.

Watch an information session on how to apply for Seed Funds for Racial Justice

President Michael V. Drake has told Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, City Council President Shannon Hardin and others in city leadership that he supports the creation of an independent Citizens Review Board to review instances of alleged police misconduct, as recommended by the Columbus Community Safety Advisory Commission. President Drake has asked that this board include an Ohio State student representative.

The Wexner Medical Center and health science colleges have made “anti-racism efforts our very foundation” in declaring racism a social determinant of health that is damaging to our community, patients, faculty, staff and trainees. The Anti-Racism Action Plan will accelerate structural and systemic change supporting equity in health and well-being.

The plan involves five key actions: to elevate the cause of anti-racism; engage our faculty, staff, students, patients and communities with opportunities to learn and participate; equip team members with tools, resources and communication channels; empower people to address racism; and evaluate and review efforts regularly.

For more information, see the Anti-Racism Action Plan website.

Additionally, on June 1, former President Michael V. Drake testified in support of a Columbus City Council resolution that declared racism a public health crisis. The resolution passed and joined a previous declaration by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. President Drake also expressed his support for a similar resolution under consideration by the Ohio Senate.

Events

The listing below includes events that are open to Ohio State community members. This list does not include the many important conversations, dialogues and fora taking place within units across campus.

Date/Time Title
June 1-2, 2020 Black Lives Matter Processing Sessions
Hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
June 1, 2020
3 to 4 p.m.		 Come Together to Support One Another in Response to Recent Tragic Events of Racial Violence and Discrimination
Hosted by the Student Life Multicultural Center
June 1 - July 9, 2020 Cincinnati Goddamn: Stream online free for all audiences
Hosted by the Wexner Center for the Arts
June 3, 2020
6 p.m.		 Black Student Forum
Hosted by the Student Life Multicultural Center
June 5, 2020
2 p.m.		 Allies and Advocates: Ways to Show Up for Racial Justice
Hosted by the Student Life Multicultural Center
June 5, 2020 White Coats for Black Lives (Video)
Hosted by Wexner Medical Center
June 8, 2020
3 to 4:30 p.m.		 The Role of the Land-Grant University in Addressing Racial Tensions, Part I
Hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
June 10, 2020
2 p.m.		 Conversations with Allies and Advocates
Hosted by the Student Life Multicultural Center, Office of Academic Affairs and Office of Outreach and Engagement
June 10, 2020 Clearing the Air: Race Relations in the US
Hosted by The Ohio State University at Lima
Use password 9M#239B4 to access the video recording
June 11, 2020
Noon to 1 p.m.		 A Conversation with the Latinx Community about the Struggle for Racial Justice
Hosted by the Organization of Hispanic/Latino Faculty and Staff
June 11, 2020
5:30 to 7 p.m.		 Living Through Time and Change: Come Together to Support One Another in a Period of Civil Unrest
Hosted by Counseling and Consultation Services
June 12, 2020 Forum for Faculty and Staff at Fisher College of Business
Hosted by Fisher College of Business
June 15, 2020
3 to 4:30 p.m.		 The Role of the Land-Grant University in Addressing Racial Tensions, Part II
Hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and The Women's Place
June 15, 2020
9 to 10 a.m.		 Being Black at Ohio State: Community, Opportunity & Leadership
Hosted by the Student Life Multicultural Center
June 22, 2020
12 to 1:00 p.m.		 Town Hall on Race and Racism for Faculty
Hosted by the College of Nursing
June 23, 2020
11 to 12:00 p.m		 Black Staff Check In
Hosted by the College of Nursing
June 23, 2020
2 to 3:00 p.m		 Black Faculty Check In
Hosted by the College of Nursing
June 23, 2020
4 to 5:00 p.m		 Town Hall on Race and Racism for Staff
Hosted by the College of Nursing
June 24, 2020
4 to 5:00 p.m		 Town Hall on Race and Racism for Students
Hosted by the College of Nursing
June 24, 2020
3 to 4:30 p.m.		 Black Matters 101: Policing and Black Communities
Hosted by the Department of African American and African Studies
June 25, 2020
1 p.m.
Why is it so hard to talk about race?
Hosted by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity
June 25, 2020
3 p.m.		 Justice for Racial Equality, Thursday Student Series: Current Issues, Social Media & You
Hosted by The Ohio State University at Newark and the offices of Student Life, Academic Affairs and Outreach and Engagement
June 26, 2020
9:15 p.m.		 Listening Session for Black, Indigenous, and Latinx Graduate Students
College of Engineering and Knowlton School of Architecture
June 29, 2020
3 to 4 p.m.		 Black Matters 101: Dismantling Structural Inequalities
Hosted by the Department of African American and African Studies
July 2, 2020
3 p.m.		 Justice for Racial Equality, Thursday Student Series: A Call to Action - Black Lives Matter
Hosted by The Ohio State University at Newark
July 7, 2020
3 p.m.		 Your Voice Matters: A Forum for Students of Color at Ohio State Mansfield
Hosted by The Ohio State University at Mansfield
July 9, 2020
3 p.m.		 Justice for Racial Equality, Thursday Student Series: What's Next After Street Protesting Simmers
Hosted by The Ohio State University at Newark
July 17, 2020
12 to 1 p.m.		 Equity and Inclusion in Postdoc Hiring (for postdocs and fellows: password OPA Coffee)
Hosted by The Ohio State University Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
July 23, 2020
12 to 1 p.m.		 Equity and Inclusion in Postdoc Hiring (for faculty: password Equity!)
Hosted by The Ohio State University Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
August 5, 2020
4 to 6 p.m.		 "All Black Lives Matter" forum for African American Students at Lima
Hosted by The Ohio State University Lima

Education and learning resources

Crisis response, counseling and support

The university's Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) was created to coordinate the university's response to all complaints of harassment, discrimination, and sexual misconduct. To learn more about your rights to be free from harassment and discrimination, to get assistance connecting with support resources, or to file a report, please contact OIE at:

You can also report concerns anonymously through EthicsPoint.

Members of The Ohio State community have the right to be free from all forms of harassment and discrimination based on age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or protected veteran status.

Non-Discrimination Notice (PDF)

In addition to educating yourself and ensuring that we treat all people with dignity and respect, you can act if you see something you know if wrong, such as a racist act.

  • Direct: confront the person(s) who are engaging in harmful behavior and ask them to stop, if you feel safe doing so. Also, please check in on those being harmed.
  • Distract: turn the attention of the people who are doing harm away from the current situation; the goal is to stop the harm.
  • Delegate: ask another trusted person for help who you believe can stop the situation in an effective manner. You can also report the incident to a trusted person at Ohio State (such as the Office for Institutional Equity).

*Note that being a victim is never the fault of the victim. These steps are intended for others to take as an upstander in support of the victim/survivor. People's abilities to act will be different, so again, we ask you do one of the above.

University and leadership statements