Campus News

'Behind the Blue': Navigating Difficult Conversations Around Racial Inequality

Student in a mask.
Pete Comparoni | UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky, (Oct. 23, 2020) — Nationwide, protests in the United States have captivated humans around the globe, catapulting discussions of race, justice and policing to the forefront of national discourse. 

While police brutality has been reported in the U.S. for decades, high-profile incidents of police using deadly force against unarmed people of color has emphasized the need for intentional dialogue surrounding racial injustice and systemic racism.

“For people who are racially minoritized, the recent uprisings are part of a continued conversation that has never been optional to engage,” said Nicole Martin, director of Inclusive Excellence and Diversity Education (IEDE) at the University of Kentucky. “What we are witnessing in the uprisings is a response to a centuries long cry for recognition of Black humanity and Black life. For those whom society at large does not appear to apply the lens of race, there has been an increased desire for education around the history and theories of race in the United States.”

As protests continue around the world, it is evident that individuals are ready to engage in advocacy, revolution and, most often, conversation. 

Although conversation alone will not lead to the dismantling of the oppressive systems that have led to the political, economic and social suppression of Black people, Indigenous people and other people of color, ongoing dialogue can serve as a catalyst in igniting the change necessary to create the equity that marginalized communities deserve.

On this week’s edition of “Behind the Blue,” Martin and her colleague Rae Loftis, IEDE associate director, discuss navigating difficult conversations surrounding race and equity, why these conversations are important in moving the campus forward and the role IEDE plays at the university in creating a campus community invested in expanding diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

IEDE serves the university as a centralized educational unit for expanding diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Rooted in an organized effort to create a campus community invested in exposing, challenging and minimizing the effects of interpersonal and institutionalized discrimination, IEDE is committed to supporting the broader mission of UK’s strategic plan. 

To learn more about IEDE and its services, click here

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For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

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As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.