UMF is joined by three Black alumni — Starr Soul-McDonald ’10, Sebastian Jackson ’13, and Steffon Gales ’18 — to share their experiences and thoughts on race and racism in Maine and beyond.
“We must live our values. In order to support the cause of anti-racism, we need to continually educate ourselves in ways that do not burden the oppressed. We must show up. We must confront racial intolerance and exclusion when it happens — along all aspects of the spectrum — from interpersonal violence to policies that marginalize or discriminate. We are an educational community, and it is only through seeking to understand, continual learning, and working together that we will be able to provide a safe and inclusive community.” – Edward Serna, UMF President
Like many places across our country, the Farmington community has spent the summer processing the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and so many others. And, like many campuses across the country, we are learning what it means to be anti-racist and how to better support our Black colleagues, friends, and community members.
In mid-June, we reached out to several Black alumni and asked if they would join us for a Black Voices panel about race, racism and the Black experience in Maine and beyond. Starr Soul-McDonald ’10, Sebastian Jackson ’13, and Steffon Gales ’18 agreed to participate in the online forum, where they shared their personal experiences growing up in New England, their time on campus, and life after UMF.
“Change doesn’t happen overnight,” said Soul-McDonald. “I want people to understand that change happens little by little, and having a dialogue with people of color starts that change.”
“With the world feeling like it was flipped upside down,” said Gales. “It was great to have a moment to process my emotions and inform others about why this cause — why acknowledging racism in America — was necessary.”
“As the panelists pointed out in their talk,” Peter Osborne, ‘09, Alumni Council president said, “UMF hasn’t been a place where conversations around race are prominent. The Alumni Council feels strongly about helping to create space for BIPOC alumni and students. That said, all my gratitude goes to Starr, Sebastian, and Steffon for sharing their experiences and perspectives as Black alumni, and I believe this panel discussion is an early and pivotal step for the University to move further toward racial equity and inclusion.”
The event was made possible by a grant from UMF’s Alumni Council and the support and participation from the Diversity and Inclusion Action Team (DIAT). Dr. Kate MacLeod and Dr. Andre Siamundele — both UMF faculty and members of DIAT — moderated the panel, which drew more than 50 attendees during the live broadcast.
We invite you to watch the video to hear these important stories.
If you’re looking for ways to expand your anti-racist education, UMF’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Team has compiled a list of additional anti-racist media, content and additional resources for our campus community.