Ajay Nair, senior vice president and dean of Campus Life, sent this message via email to the Emory community on Feb. 23.

Dear Emory Community:

The working groups of the Racial Justice Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 26, are currently submitting their initial responses to the 13 demands set forth by the Black Students of Emory movement last fall. The working groups will continue to update their recommendations while obtaining feedback from the community. 

You may recall that, when the threat of a winter storm compromised our January date for the Racial Justice Retreat, we immediately rescheduled the event for Feb. 26. Retreat planners requested the already formed working groups — including students, staff, and faculty — to immediately begin developing responses to the student demands to share with the community for review and input.

Our retreat participants — and we are expecting 100 invitees — will discuss ideas, concerns, and action steps identified to date. Based on their conversations and your input, participants will update their working group plan. To share your feedback, visit http://dialogue.emory.edu/racial_justice/demands/index.html.  

We understand that our Racial Justice Initiative is a process and much work will remain after this month’s retreat. Your engagement is vital to that process. Please continue to visit our Dialogue at Emory website for updates at http://dialogue.emory.edu/.

I urge you to join us in this important initiative to implement systemic change on our campus.

Sincerely,

Ajay Nair
Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life