IFO Statement on the Killing of Daunte Wright

Once again, we condemn the senseless killing of a Black man, Daunte Wright, carried out by a police officer in Minnesota. We stand in solidarity with our Black faculty and communities, subjected to violence and abuse far too long, as they process their anger, frustration, fear, and exhaustion in response to the ongoing tragedy of police killings of Black Americans. At this time, talks of reform ring hollow as we all just want the killing to stop. 

The IFO will be holding space for our Black faculty and other faculty of color on Tuesday, April 13 from 9-11 a.m., and for all faculty (faculty of color and allies) on Thursday, April 15 from 9-11 a.m. We encourage you to attend to connect with your colleagues from across the state and/or find support within your community networks.  Please email advocacy@ifo.org for the information to join these virtual meetings.

The IFO has made a commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in our union, on our campuses, and in our communities. The IFO Board has adopted a strategic plan that prioritizes challenging systemic oppression and empowering marginalized members through intentional equity and inclusion initiatives. We believe faculty must be empowered to lead efforts to respect the inherent worth and dignity of all students, faculty, and staff based on values of justice, inclusion, and equity: Faculty will be the fundamental agents of change at our universities and in our communities. We strive for equity within our union to build solidarity and ensure that our collective voice is an inclusive voice. However, we understand that as these efforts to change our society can feel like too little, too late as we have not yet been able to prevent the pain, anger, and fear we feel today.   

IFO response to police shooting of Jacob Blake

Sadly, this week we face another violent attack by the police against a Black man – Jacob Blake – who was shot seven times in his back as he tried to get into his car with three of his children inside. The system-sanctioned violence against Black men, women, and children is not new. We applaud the wildcat strikes in protest to continuing police violence against Black bodies within the NBA, the WNBA, MLB, and MLS – sparking the question for all of us: What can we do individually and as organizations to dismantle structural racism?

For the IFO, affirming that Black Lives Matter is a commitment supporting Black members of our union, institutions, and communities and to undoing the harm of systemic racism to work towards transformational change. We acknowledge and must continue to address the unique challenges faced by Black faculty, students, and staff in the Minnesota State System, in our State, and in our country. We acknowledge that MinnState campuses do not exist in racial vacuums. Black faculty, students, and staff are unjustly criminalized both on MinnState campuses and in our communities. We remain committed to pushing the Minnesota State College and University System and our elected leaders to affirm that Black Lives Matter and to take substantial steps to protect and empower Black lives, futures, and opportunities.

The Inter Faculty Organization responds to the Minneapolis Police killing of George Floyd

The Inter Faculty Organization condemns the brutal killing of George Floyd by officers of the Minneapolis Police Department. We share the pain and trauma that this horrific tragedy has inflicted on people of color in particular and on our community in general. The institutionalized racism resulting in such callous disregard of a Black man’s life, and impenetrable disregard of the pleas from Mr. Floyd and from bystanders – is a haunting but clear signal of the MPD’s destructive culture that must be rooted out. It is a tragic reminder that, without profound cultural change in institutions, violence and injustice against people of color will not be curtailed.

We are determined to do what we can where we are: to ever more steadfastly renew our own commitment – each of us – to respect the lives of those historically marginalized, to empower them and the bystanders who stand with them as allies for justice and equity, and to build a transformed culture of inclusion and equity that will endure.