Over the last few days, the USA has been gripped by protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. This deeply sad situation has shocked many in our community and our hearts go out to his family and those that have been impacted by the events that have followed.

The University is committed to creating an environment which embraces the richness and power of diversity.  At Hallam, we feel an obligation to stand against prejudice and we have adopted a zero tolerance approach in order to eliminate all forms of discriminatory behaviour. 

Any event such as the one we witnessed last week is naturally going to generate great upset and anxiety for many of us. This message today is both one of compassion for anyone who has been a target of hate, based on their skin colour, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity or religion, as well as one of speaking out against the apathy, indifference or silence that allows this hatred, prejudice and intolerance to grow. 

Any action which seeks to diminish the worth of a fellow human being because of their race is completely unacceptable.  Racism, like all acts of prejudice, is to be condemned. As a University, we will use our influence to challenge the ignorance and intolerance that fuel these deplorable acts and strengthen our approach to inclusion and tackle any racism or discriminatory behaviour within our community.

At the University we have services in place to provide both students and staff with comfort and support during these difficult times.  We also have a practiced team of listeners which includes the University’s Report and Support Service and a Chaplaincy service which is available to all, regardless of faith or no faith. There is much more wellbeing support on our website.

We understand that the level of passion among members of our community is high; if you do wish to take part in protests, please do so safely. We are aware that many are adding their names to an online petition, which you may wish to do to demonstrate your support.

It has been truly heartening to see the way people have come together to voice their feelings, and the University, as an educator and employer to such a diverse group of people, is no exception.  We also acknowledge that it would have been deeply amiss to have remained silent and we have composed this message to remind those of you that have been affected that you are not alone.

Sally Jackson, Chief People Officer

Umar Zamman, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development