[Art-mfastudio] FW: A Message from Dean Frazier

[Stephanie James]

Dear Art Students,

Please see the message below form Dean Frazier and the link to a Listening Session today Friday June 5th.  https://ncbi.fsu.edu/events

I hope you are all well,

Stephanie

Stephanie James
Chair, Department of Art
College of Fine Arts
Florida State University
Tel: (850) 644-8254
Email: sljames at fsu.edu
(Pronouns: she/her/hers)
https://www.stephaniejamesarts.com/




 “A caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still…for the caged bird sings of freedom”

                                                                                    -Maya Angelou





Dear College of Fine Arts Students, Faculty and Staff,



As the ills of our society are on full display, let’s be reminded that artists have always played important roles in helping us to better understand who we are, who we were, and who we can be. The role of artist-educators, scholars and administrators is to help facilitate understanding of our curricula and programming in the various contexts in which we live and work, contemporarily and historically. We are not apart from the world, but vibrantly in it. And, we are committed to ensuring that we are constantly moving toward a better version of ourselves, where members of our community are not made to feel underrepresented or marginalized.



Over the past couple of weeks, our nation and our world, and specifically Black communities around the United States, have been rocked by a series of deaths of Black people, with a number of highly visible cases involving the police. We have seen the recorded murder of George Floyd repeated on television and on the internet. We’ve read about how first responder Breonna Taylor was shot to death in the middle of the night, awakened from sleep in her own bed. We’ve been horrified, watching Ahmaud Arbery hunted down and killed while jogging in his own neighborhood. And, the nation mourns the loss of local community member Tony McDade, while activists call for a full investigation into his death. Sadly, these are just a sampling of the most current incidents. Though horrendous, the apparent disregard for Black life is woven into the history of our country and over the past week the simmering pain, frustration, and rage spilled over and erupted onto the streets of major cities and inspired protests around the world.



We in the Florida State University College of Fine Arts are deeply pained by the events and legacies that have led us here, to social upheaval, but we are inspired by the demand for a more just society. We say to the members of our community, but particularly to our Black community, because of the specific weight of current crises (ongoing national protests and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19), we recognize that you are likely feeling the stress of these times in ways that are difficult or impossible to communicate and that you will each carry that weight in differently. To you, we offer our support. We are with you. We are here for you. And, you matter to us.



Sincerely,
[cid:3da0cb34-3feb-48b0-92f7-422b9f5fa391]

James Frazier, EdD, MFA





Students are invited to participate in a Listening Session on Friday June 5th.  https://ncbi.fsu.edu/events



 “This listening session will be the first in a series of programs organized by the Center for Leadership & Social Change and the University Counseling Center for Florida State students to talk about racial injustice and social change. Students are encouraged to drop in any time between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to express their feelings or voice concerns in small groups. University faculty and staff will hold space in each room to listen and facilitate conversation. Stay as long or as little as you need to during the two-hour session.”



University Counseling (https://counseling.fsu.edu/) is available to current FSU students, faculty and staff.



President Thrasher ‘s recent statement can be accessed using the link https://news.fsu.edu/news/university-news/2020/05/29/a-message-from-president-john-thrasher-2/.



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