President Mangelsdorf joined the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Mark Taubman and other community leaders to support the Greater Rochester Black Agenda Group’s “Racism is a Public Health Crisis” declaration.
The University of Rochester stands with the Greater Rochester Black Agenda Group to affirm that Racism is a Public Health Crisis. There is no denying the pain and trauma that racism causes. As a University with both academic and health care missions, we are committed to educating ourselves about past and persistent inequities, working to heal our communities of color, and recognizing and taking principled stands against discrimination and bigotry. As the region’s largest employer, we want to contribute to the solutions that eliminate the troubling disparities that still affect Rochester’s black and brown communities today.
The University has been active in many ways in improving outcomes, particularly in the areas of health and education, and by partnering in community-wide efforts to create meaningful change and opportunity for Rochester’s citizens, young adults, and children. However, we also recognize that we have much more to do, including increasing the diversity of our faculty and administrative leadership, and continuing to implement ways to support and lift up our communities of color, both on our campus and in our city.
