Hello to all.
I hope this email finds you and your families well. I know many of you are on break, but I wanted to share an opportunity to become more informed and hopefully more active as we fight against racism at the University of Connecticut. As I entered my new role as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion coordinator, events took place in our world that would cause a long overdue disruption in our culture that has been complacent to systematic racism. Prior to semester break, I had been asked by many, "What can I do"? or heard "I just don't know what to say." I also heard from many who had experienced racism and they wanted to know, "What is the UConn School of Nursing doing about this crisis?" We haven't always had the answers ourselves at the School of Nursing and are learning from our past mistakes. However, we are working toward becoming informed and making changes so that everyone feels safe and at home in the nursing school.

If you do not know Ibram X. Kendi, he is an American author, historian, and leading scholar of race and discriminatory policy who has written How to be an Antiracist<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHow-Be-Antiracist-Ibram-Kendi%2Fdp%2F0525509283%2Fref%3Dsr_1_2%3Fdchild%3D1%26gclid%3DEAIaIQobChMI-5HCx-246gIVzwiICR3jGgHKEAAYAiAAEgIS7vD_BwE%26hvadid%3D409956724261%26hvdev%3Dc%26hvlocphy%3D9003234%26hvnetw%3Dg%26hvqmt%3De%26hvrand%3D8849090011214435885%26hvtargid%3Dkwd-606380095379%26hydadcr%3D24631_11410057%26keywords%3Dhow%2Bto%2Bbe%2Ban%2Bantiracist%26qid%3D1594046396%26sr%3D8-2%26tag%3Dgooghydr-20&data=02%7C01%7C%7C38d0fc4b8b7b4a0f9bb508d823536052%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C637298188282971930&sdata=1ch17vj1aFjkjwFpvRvTZYjFqVgCpSHHuZ84glrBJK0%3D&reserved=0>. He also launched the new Boston University Center for Antiracist Research<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bu.edu%2Fantiracism-center%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C38d0fc4b8b7b4a0f9bb508d823536052%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C637298188282971930&sdata=2UNe6N%2BpZtRjjHI2bdHcC2eOrobFNxDvi%2Fo2FFTIBzc%3D&reserved=0>. He is powerful in leading conversations on racism in America. Dr. Kendi is having a FREE webinar on how to be an antiracist on Monday July 20 at 7:00 p.m. I encourage you to attend and become informed. Awareness of the problem is the first step in making changes and these changes start within ourselves. This first step will bring us closer to the work we are faced with as we make changes at the nursing school.

The link is below. Hope to see you all there.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ibram-x-kendi-on-how-to-be-an-antiracist-tickets-110866502694?aff=efbneb&fbclid=IwAR0KVgN5z9Pg9VV5glqX1fwwCeq3Q1BBmqolPzVl7kYWtYqeQ-u6UYlGo9A<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eventbrite.com%2Fe%2Fibram-x-kendi-on-how-to-be-an-antiracist-tickets-110866502694%3Faff%3Defbneb%26fbclid%3DIwAR0KVgN5z9Pg9VV5glqX1fwwCeq3Q1BBmqolPzVl7kYWtYqeQ-u6UYlGo9A&data=02%7C01%7C%7C38d0fc4b8b7b4a0f9bb508d823536052%7C17f1a87e2a254eaab9df9d439034b080%7C0%7C0%7C637298188282981925&sdata=A33tRKG%2BDU0wiDzDdk0nBheEfwdPZ4a24OROr5PxVr4%3D&reserved=0>

Be well,
MaryAnn Perez-Brescia