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Live the Six
Office of Equity and Inclusion

Frequently Asked Questions

The Live the Six team created the following answers to common questions about the movement, its objectives, and how to engage.

What is Live the Six?

Live the Six is a call to action to be part of a transformative movement to Stop Hate, End Racism, and Choose L.O.V.E. in all of our communities, our labs and classrooms, exam rooms, offices and operating suites. Everywhere we work in the University of Rochester system, we are asking people to live these six words. We believe that we have a shared responsibility to create a safe and supportive environment for everyone, regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other aspect of their identity.

Live the Six was inspired by the Buffalo Bills “Choose Love” fundraising campaign in response to the 2022 Tops Market hate crime murders. Soon after, Wegmans stores began displaying signs that read “Stop Hate, End Racism, Choose Love.” The positive tone of the signs and their bold call to action sparked an idea to bring the campaign to the entire University. Read more about the origins of the movement.

What does ‘Choose L.O.V.E’ mean?

The objective of Live the Six is to proclaim, in one voice, that the University of Rochester stands against all forms of hatred and racism, in solidarity with those working tirelessly for a more compassionate world, and in steadfast resolve to Choose L.O.V.E and to Live Our Values Everywhere.

What values does “L.O.V.E” refer to? Is this different from MELIORA and ICARE?

Live the Six calls us to turn our values into action – wherever we are in the system. Live the Six is based on the foundations of our Meliora and ICARE values, and expectations of how we treat each other, our patients, students, etc.

  • What are the ICARE values? ICARE—an acronym for Integrity, Inclusion, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence. This provides the foundation for how we treat people at the Medical Center.
  • What are the Meliora values? The University of Rochester is defined by a deep commitment to Meliora or ever better. Embedded in that ideal are the core values of Equity, Leadership, Integrity, Openness, Respect, and Accountability.

Living our values everywhere means consistently applying and embodying these beliefs and principles and making decisions and taking actions that align with them. When we Live Our Values Everywhere, they shape our behavior and interactions with others, and become an integral part of our identity which helps us build trust and credibility with others—individually and as an institution. This makes Live the Six so much more powerful as a movement. It’s transformative because we are not just addressing individuals, but we are addressing the system.

How is this being rolled out across the campuses and the community?

The Office of Equity and Inclusion, in collaboration with the medical center’s Patient Experience Department has already started introducing Live the Six internally. The initiative will be expanded with opportunities for education, restorative justice, and community building for the entire institution. Stay up to date by subscribing to receive Live the Six alerts and news.

Why Live the Six?

Rochester has a rich history of leadership in the fight against racism. The call to live these six words invites us to take pride in that history, but also asks us to recognize the legacy of injustice in our past, and to be accountable to its impacts today.

Further, the Live the Six movement addresses concerns about a deteriorating culture of respect and lack of civil discourse seen both locally and nationally. It moves us to meaningful conversations about race, and to be more open and inclusive as a community and an institution. It’s about learning to increase our awareness of hate in our everyday lives and learning to be more collaborative with solutions. To learn more, please watch our video on the home page.

What do you mean end racism?

We may not be able to stop hate or end racism today, just by ourselves – but it starts with us, where we are now. Live the Six helps us to reframe our discussions on race, to embrace those dialogues rather than run from them.

In addition to our values, Live the Six supports the University’s overall strategic plan and more importantly, the work we started in the Equity & Anti-Racism Action Plan and its five pillars to: build (an anti-racism infrastructure), recruit (diverse learners faculty and staff), nurture (a respectful learning and work environment), exemplify (inclusion in places and digital spaces), and engage (in equitable health care).

How do I Live the Six?

Live the Six is being introduced and coordinated through education, engagement, and community building. It’s our goal that this is not a one-time campaign with a traditional beginning and end, rather, we want to create lasting change, an effort that measurably enhances the way we see and behave within our shared world.

You will begin to see opportunities to learn more and engage with your colleagues in a variety of Live the Six related events. Live the Six first starts with being open to taking an educational journey with us. And the journey starts right where you are. We are all in different places (physically, emotionally, culturally, and spiritually) when it comes to this important topic.

As a first step, we ask that you:

  1. Sign up to receive email updates. Learn how we can be ever better and lives our values everywhere.
  2. Attend an upcoming event. Take the next step in our journey together. Find activities and opportunities on the University’s Equity and Inclusion Events Calendar.
  3. Have your voice heard. Please tell us how you plan to Live the Six. Every voice matters, and this movement belongs to all of us. Share your examples, feedback, and suggestions.
  4. Commit to learning more. Start your journey on the main page and visit our Toolkit and Education page coming soon.
How does the University currently address allegations of discriminatory and/or harassing conduct within our community?

The University of Rochester has a variety of resources and policies to uphold and advance the diversity, equity, inclusion, and culture we seek to maintain and develop in our spaces and places. One way the University strives to achieve this continuous goal is through several policies that prohibit and describe how to report discrimination and harassment in all forms: the Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment (PADH) (employee discrimination or harassment on the basis of one of the protected statuses defined in the “Key Terms” section of this website); the Title IX Policy (sex-based discrimination and harassment involving students, faculty, and staff); and the Student Sexual Misconduct Policy (sex-based discrimination and harassment involving at least one student and that does not otherwise fall within the Title IX Policy).

In addition to staffing a civil rights compliance team consisting of experienced Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) investigators within the Office of Equity and Inclusion who evaluate and respond to complaints in a neutral and equitable manner, members of the University’s community are trained on their rights and obligations related to creating and fostering a culture of inclusion and respect. In combination, these prevention and response efforts are aimed at advancing the University’s overall diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) goals and promoting a strong, unified community.