On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, shootings in the Atlanta-area led to the murder of eight people, including six Asian American women. Disturbingly, since this pandemic took hold, there has been a significant increase in hate crimes and xenophobic sentiment towards the Asian American community. Recently it’s been reported that there have been nearly 3,800 hate crimes, with 68 percent of these reports involving Asian American women. We know that these numbers are likely higher as not everyone reports incidents of hate or bias.
These high numbers of reported incidents are alarming and raise sincere concern for the welfare of those in our community who identify as Asian and are impacted by hearing about these repeated acts of terror. All community members need to know that the School of Pharmacy rejects hate, bias, or discrimination in any form. We stand in solidarity with our Asian American community today, in this past year, and always.
If any faculty, staff, or student experiences or witnesses an act of hate, bias, or discrimination in or outside of our School, we strongly encourage you to report it or intervene if you are a bystander. Only through reporting is awareness raised and where action be taken to hold those accountable for behaviors that signal othering, exclusion, or hate — all behaviors that are not welcome or tolerated at the School of Pharmacy.
Please, let us be good citizens to one another. We may not have control beyond our local communities, but as a School of Pharmacy, let us stand firm in our commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive community for all.
Steven M. Swanson, PhD Lisa Imhoff, MSSW, LCSW she|her|hers
Dean and Professor Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion
UW–Madison School of Pharmacy UW–Madison School of Pharmacy