UNH increases efforts to address racism in its curriculum, culture

DURHAM — The University of New Hampshire has begun to evaluate its curriculum and culture to address institutional racism in response to renewed international calls for change.

Black, indigenous and other people of color involved in these efforts emphasize the predominantly white college will struggle with this complex, centuries-old issue unless everyone more fully and actively participates in the process.

“We — all of us, every single Wildcat — has not only a right but a duty to participate in this conversation to, at campus, holding folks accountable,” said Tito Jackson, Class of 1999, who spurred UNH to make several landmark changes involving race during his time as a history major there. “At the University of New Hampshire, we have potential but we are absolutely not where we need to be — and that affects the value of our degree. I would submit to you there’s a financial component here. Getting to know folks who are from diverse backgrounds, challenging each other in classrooms and also in social and school leadership settings makes not for only better students, but the product that we’re putting out to the public means that our young people who are going out and competing are going to be able to represent, are going to be able to lead and be able to move things forward in ways that are culturally competent, that actually think about these things and take us to the next level.”

The university announced a new action plan on racism in June following a student-organized Black Lives Matter rally in Durham that coincided with similar events and protests across the country and world.

To read more, visit seacoastonline.com/news/20200704/unh-increases-efforts-to-address-racism-in-its-curriculum-culture

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