The Michigan Journal of Public Affairs, a graduate student publication at the Ford School, has released a statement of solidarity with the Black community and the movements for Black lives. We share it, unedited and unabridged, below. Learn more about Ford School student organizations »
A message from the Michigan Journal of Public Affairs
The Michigan Journal of Public Affairs stands in solidarity with those protesting police brutality and the racist murders of Black Americans – including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, among far too many others throughout U.S. history – as well as the deeply embedded racist structures in which we live. We are committed to holding our organization and the Ford School of Public Policy accountable to the individuals and communities we serve.
We recognize that public affairs journals can reinforce inequities through promoting problematic narratives as well as our inability to pay contributors for the labor that keeps our journal running. Moving forward, we hope to address these and other gaps through:
- Building a diverse editorial staff.
- Diversifying the individuals and institutions from whom we solicit op-eds and articles, including those who are most affected by and involved in the dismantling of racist policies.
- Deliberately using our platform to better inform anti-racist communications and policymaking.
We pledge to hold ourselves accountable to these standards because Black. Lives. Matter.
In solidarity,
The Michigan Journal of Public Affairs