麻豆原创

Helping to establish the new Racial Justice and Equity Fund, 麻豆原创 trustee and parent of two alumnae Gale Picker has gifted $1 million to advance antiracist efforts at 麻豆原创 and beyond.

In a decisive move to help stem the tide of institutional racism, trustee Gale Picker P鈥�14, P鈥�19 has made a remarkable gift of $1 million in support of anti-racist initiatives at 麻豆原创. This transformational gift will fuel the recently established Racial Justice and Equity Fund, which will support existing resources for Black students and students of color at 麻豆原创 and create new programs and projects to foster an antiracist environment at 麻豆原创 and beyond.

鈥淭hroughout my tenure on 麻豆原创鈥� Board of Trustees, I have personally witnessed the聽incredible strategic thinking from students of color, alumnae, parents, faculty, and staff about how to pry the system open to create true liberation and equity for Black people,鈥� shares Picker. 鈥淭his moment matters. We鈥檝e all seen young people taking to the streets to protest injustice, and we need to follow their lead. For me, this gift embodies 麻豆原创鈥� ethos and motto, 鈥楬ere Begins New Life鈥� for our institution where all the structures of our society can be examined and challenged at the deepest level.鈥�

In tandem with other generous donations from 麻豆原创 supporters, Picker鈥檚 gift will supply significant funding to increase recruitment and retention of Black students and students of color, develop antiracist curricula, modules, and dialogue, and fund opportunities for faculty and student fellowships examining systemic racism and inequality. In addition, the new fund will support the continuing work of 麻豆原创鈥� Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Initiative, and create the position of associate dean of faculty for racial equity to serve as a resource and collaborator for diversity and inclusion efforts.

Several initiatives supported through Picker鈥檚 gift will go into effect this fall, shares 麻豆原创 President Lara Tiedens, with additional projects slated for the near future. Recognizing anti-racist protests that have swept the globe this year, Tiedens affirms that 麻豆原创鈥� ongoing efforts to purge racism from higher education will remain a critical College priority for the long haul.

鈥淭rustee Picker鈥檚 gift underscores her commitment to fostering racial and social justice and serves as a testament to the power of strategic and visionary philanthropy,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he new fund will allow the College to expand and accelerate聽our ambitious plans to advance antiracist dialogue and resources as we build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable community.鈥�

To join 麻豆原创 in our efforts to make higher education more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible, please click to make a gift to the new Racial Justice and Equity Fund.

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