As we celebrate Black history this February, let’s take a moment to honor the remarkable individuals and events that have shaped our collective history.
Dear School of Social Work Community,
As we celebrate Black history this February, let’s take a moment to honor the remarkable individuals and events that have shaped our collective history. In doing so, I’m inspired to personally rekindle my dedication to action and transformation, with a steadfast commitment to justice and equity.
The words of Fatima Goss Graves, JD, our recent keynote speaker for the 2024 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month celebration at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), resonate deeply with me. Her powerful message, “The best way to sustain hope, especially when things feel hard, is to get into motion,” encourages us to translate hope into tangible steps toward justice, echoing the very essence of our J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) principles.
In the face of all the setbacks we have seen recently in higher education and the social work profession, I am personally committed to holding onto the core themes echoed by Goss Graves: acknowledging truths, embracing hope, and channeling that hope into decisive action. Within our School of Social Work (SSW) community, I firmly believe in our collective power to effect change and nurture the next generation of compassionate changemakers. Despite recent challenges and uncertainty surrounding the future, my hope remains unwavering, and I am confident that our impact will endure.
As we celebrate Black History Month, let us reflect on the countless Black social workers who, for over a century, have worked tirelessly to uphold the dignity of all people in pursuit of justice: trailblazers like Ida B. Wells, who exposed lynching atrocities; activists like Dorothy Height, who marched for civil rights; and individuals within our very own SSW community who are on the front lines fighting for equity. Let us honor these changemakers who live social work’s mission each day. Their courage inspires me to persevere and to keep working with all of you on strengthening the J.E.D.I. work throughout the school and within myself.
In this pivotal time, I call upon each member of our community to seize the flame of hope and transform it into a personal to-do list, embodying our shared commitment to building a more just and equitable world. Embracing our J.E.D.I. principles is an ongoing journey, necessitating continuous growth and development from all of us, myself included.
As I continue to reflect on my own journey as dean, I pose to you the question I continuously ask myself: What action will you take to further your J.E.D.I. journey? Let’s make our collective commitment to J.E.D.I. principles a catalyst for ongoing personal and communal development as we navigate this ever-evolving path toward a better tomorrow.
With gratitude, determination, and a commitment to growth.
Judy L. Postmus, PhD, ACSW
Dean, University of Maryland School of Social Work