Research studies continue to demonstrate that organizations that are diverse and inclusive outperform their peers. While diversity is good for business, inequities and racial injustices continue to persist.

Ken Frazier, CEO of Merck, one of just three Black CEOs in the Fortune 500, has called “for business leaders to be a ‘unifying force’ that can help solve many of the racial inequalities in America by creating new opportunities and jobs.” He has said that “education, and particularly financial literacy, is the ‘great equalizer.’” (CNBC.com, February 4, 2021)

At Lerner, we’ve been teaching business subjects for over 100 years. In the past year our communal eyes have been opened wider to disparities in treatment and inequities in the U.S. brought to light by national events, and leading to unrest and protests.

As I wrote in June, I am proud of our culture at Lerner and the beneficial impact we have on students' lives and the communities we serve - but we need to do better - not everyone feels that they belong or that they are treated fairly in Lerner. President Assanis asked the UD community to recommit “ourselves to ensuring that our instit! ution continues to be a source of pride for all students, all faculty, all staff, all alumni … all people.” I also asked everyone to re-commit themselves to upholding the values of the Lerner College as stated in our mission statement – cultivating diversity and building an inclusive community.

In the Fall, we gathered for a series of Lerner listening hours. We heard from students, alumni, and faculty and staff. We listened to students and graduates describe how they experienced obstacles and were treated differently because of their race by professors, fellow students and campus security personnel. The Lerner work environment was described as operating like a boys’ club and some felt like second-class citizens.

Having dedicated ourselves to listening to our community with empathy, the sessions enabled us to become more aware. While people came to the conversation from different perspectives, they spoke their truth. Many of us continue to experience pain, fear and trauma, and many others of us desire to be allies that are more effective.

Our Lerner Town Hall, held on Thursday, March 11 at 4 pm EST, gave us an opportunity to discuss what we heard during our Lerner listening sessions and our action plan for moving forward together as one Lerner community. The Lerner Town Hall is part of a larger effort at UD to realize a clear vision for success for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in our Blue Hen community.