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Welcome from the DEI Office!
The SSW Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Office is excited to welcome everyone back for the new academic year, and to welcome those of you who are incoming to the SSW community!

The DEI Office helps to coordinate the School's efforts in advancing our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan .
 
There are many exciting DEI events happening in the School and across campus, and we hope that you find some time in your busy schedules to take part. Be sure to check out the DEI events page to learn more.

Our office looks forward to working with you around diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and if you have ideas, our office wants to hear from you. The input and advocacy from students, staff and faculty are critical in the growth of our School. Let us know how we can be of support, and welcome to the DEI family!
Get to know the DEI Staff
Lorraine GutiƩrrez
Director
Lauren Davis
Assistant Director
Florence Alexander
Program Assistant
Jasmin Aramburu
MSW Intern
Anwesha De
MSW Intern
Emily Osan
MSW Intern
Cuauhtemoc Salinas Martell
Program Assistant
Jacqueline Ramsey
Program Assistant
Upcoming DEI Events
Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month
September 15-October 15
The University's theme this year is Soy Yo: Representation Matters  and is brought to life in the LHM logo. Graphic artist Jessica Hobbs worked with the LHM program coordinators to feature hand-drawn national flowers from each country that make up the Latinx region. The idea behind the logo is to express the individual experiences underlying Latinx identities.

Details with more events to come. 
Spectrum Center's LGBTQ+ Graduate Student Mixer
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
5 - 7 PM
Rackham Assembly Hall
Join Rackham and the Spectrum Center in kicking off the new semester! Meet new friends and connect with other LGBTQ+ students in UM graduate programs. 
Hong Kong Protests: Conversation and Implications for Social Work
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
12:30 - 2 PM
B780 SSWB
Professor Lydia Li will be leading a conversation about the ongoing protests that have exposed deep-seated fear of China’s control of Hong Kong, and long-simmering frustration of young people with the society. We will provide a brief history of the relationship between Hong Kong and China, and background contexts of the Hong Kong society to help understand the current conflict.
Beyond White Social Work Part III - Exploration into AfroFuturism, Transformative Creative Arts Movements, and Intergenerational Conversations with Black Folxs
Saturday, September 14, 2019
11:30 AM - 4 PM
This event will explore how AfroFuturism informs Our knowledge in Social Work/Social Science fields. We will explore the impact on emphasizing, listening, and centering Black voices.
Malcolm & Martin: Intersecting Visions of Justice
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
5:30 PM
Rackham Auditorium
Malcolm & Martin dedicated their lives to the Black struggle for liberation and global freedom for all. This event will present a more nuanced narrative of each icons' approach and how their ideologies shifted to push society toward equality and justice, as well as how can we apply these lessons in the struggle for justice today. Use your MCard to pick up your ticket from the Michigan Union Ticket Office, located in the League Underground. 
Common Roots Meet & Greet
Thursday, September 26, 2019
6 - 9 PM
ECC - 1840 SSWB
Join the Common Roots planning committee for their second event, the Faculty, Staff and Students of Color Meet and Greet. This event gives students an opportunity to connect with one another and provide networking opportunities for the School of Social Work's faculty, students, and staff of color. 
Social Work & Social Justice Dialogue Program
This Fall, a group of students will be engaging in the Social Justice Dialogue Program. This brings together students from diverse backgrounds and experiences to promote social justice education and community. Students will participate in activities that explore social challenges, identity, and group dynamics, with the goal of better understanding self and others.

This six-week program provides MSW students an opportunity to select from one of four ongoing dialogues for two hours each week, and the topics will focus on aspects of Mass Incarceration and Immigration.


Fall 2019 Dialogue Groups

Topic: Punishment, Prisons & Parole: Mass Incarceration in the U.S.

Dialogue Group #1: Mondays 12-2 PM

Dialogue Group #2: Thursdays 5:30-7:30 PM
 
Topic: Beyond the Borders: The State of Immigration in the U.S.

Dialogue Group #3: Wednesdays 2:30-4:30 PM

Dialogue Group #4: Thursdays 12-2 PM
DEI Professional Development Certificate
Enhance your skills in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Rackham is committed to enhancing the development and training offerings related to diversity, equity, and inclusion for all University of Michigan graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and is now offering a Professional Development DEI Certificate. This program is designed to prepare participants to work in a diverse environment while fostering a climate of inclusivity. Upon successful completion of the program, University of Michigan certificate participants will possess:

  • Increased DEI knowledge and skills to prepare them for a diverse and global job market
  • The ability to accurately define and conceptualize DEI terms
  • Opportunities for further engagement in DEI scholarship and leadership positions
  • A diversity statement that demonstrates commitment to DEI
  • An official certificate of completion (signed by the dean of Rackham Graduate School and the University of Michigan chief diversity officer), which can be listed on a curriculum vitae or resume
Nominations Sought for Staff Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award
Do you know a member of the staff, or an entire work team, that stands out by demonstrating extraordinary commitment and dedication to diversity at the University of Michigan? Help recognize their efforts by making a nomination for the annual Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award.

This award is made possible by the Office of the Provost and University Human Resources to celebrate progress toward creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment.

Nomination Deadline: October 4, 2019
Resources for Social Workers
New York Times 1619 Project
Four hundred years ago, on August 20, 1619, a ship carrying about 20 enslaved Africans arrived in Point Comfort, a coastal port in the British colony of Virginia. Though America did not even exist yet, their arrival marked its foundation, the beginning of the system of slavery on which the country was built. The New York Times Magazine is observe this anniversary with a special project that examines the many ways the legacy of slavery continues to shape and define life in the United States.