Diversity Statement

 We at the UNC Counseling Center are deeply saddened, angered, and grieving in response to recent and ongoing tragedies both near and far. We are here to support you, as this has been an extremely challenging year for many of us, and our UNC community has been through much in a short time period. We hold firm in our commitment to the broader university’s values of inclusion, equity, personal & collective accountability, and respect. 

We are in solidarity with and acknowledge the hurt and fear stemming from the Atlanta shooting and the frightening increase in acts of violence impacting Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. The recent killing of a young, unarmed Black man, Daunte Wright, at the hands of police, especially at a time and in such close proximity to the Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd. Such tragedies unfortunately represent but a small sample of the increase in hate crimes and manifestations of oppression that have targeted these and a variety of other communities. These recurrences are a national issue, a consequence of decades of systemic racism, White supremacy, and myriad forms of systemic oppression. The campus community is not immune from such forms of injustice. We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge recent on-campus events that have created a hostile environment not aligned with our university’s values and mission. We at the UNC Counseling Center condemn systemic injustices, these recent acts, and firmly believe that such tragedies continue to represent an unacceptable norm. 

We acknowledge that everyone processes these systemic injustices differently and that they can elicit a complex range of emotions. We also recognize that individuals and collective communities are impacted differentially. We are here to serve as a resource for you and the UNC community. If you would like someone to talk to or need assistance with connecting to resources, please do not hesitate to contact us.  

We are committed to practices that reflect our values of social justice, intersectional inclusion, and honoring diversity in all its forms. At the same time, we recognize how our visible and invisible identity markers, privilege, and our implicit biases can create hesitancy and impact the experiences of those seeking support. To that end, we welcome feedback from those who would like to offer it. Yet, the onus is on us and we affirm our commitment to hold ourselves accountable and to do better, as we must do better.