[GWAMIT] ACTION NEEDED - PETITION TO SUPPORT BLACK LIVES AT MIT

[GWAMIT]

On June 2, 2020, the Tech published a student-led evaluation of the
progress of the 2015 BSU/BGSA recommendations
<https://thetech.com/2020/06/02/letter-bsa-bgsa-recommendations?fbclid=IwAR03WkgujU8XDrCPSZxuxPTMOfaZ1yoUhgNZW1W1vmEwRrxdo9AYk55MLm4>.
This evaluation found that while some of the 2015 recommendations
<http://news.mit.edu/2015/black-student-leaders-recommendations-inclusive-1209>
have seen progress, 5 years later, several of the recommendations remain at
0% completion. The evaluation points to the lack of an institute-wide
strategic plan as the primary bottleneck for the completion of these
recommendations.



In this season of national and global unrest in response to the wrongful
deaths of Black men, women and non-binary people, we must look critically
at the ways that MIT's historical and contemporary policies and structures,
or lack thereof, harm Black members of the MIT community. The MIT BGSA
Exec, BSU Exec, along with student leaders across the institute, write this
petition calling on MIT leadership to be proactive in making MIT a place
where Black people can exist safely and thrive. The objectives of this
petition are two-fold to:


Objective 1: Establish demands for the development of a 3-year and 10-year
strategic plan to address racial bias at MIT by accomplishing the remaining
tasks of the 2015 BSU/BGSA recommendations AND new addendums to the
recommendations

Objective 2: Make MIT safe for all students by investigating and
implementing new models for public safety that reduce the scale of policing
and increase safety and well-being


The full details of the petition and a form to sign-on can be found at
bgsa.mit.edu/sbl2020 .


If these objectives are adopted, it will demonstrate that MIT takes the
concerns of Black community members seriously, respects our needs, and
values our input in making MIT a more inclusive environment.


Please share widely.
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