Message from CEC on Umoja House Investigation

Dear Students, Staff and Faculty,

As members of the Council for Equity and Community, we are happy to see that the processes at Lehigh–processes that are driven by members of our community, from senior leadership to first-year students and staff–are working toward fostering an inclusive community.  Processes have many parts, and the Umoja House investigation is just one example.

What is different is the work Lehigh individuals put into this investigation. No one stopped working, even when people started to recognize how complex the work is. Senior leaders met with students, students refused to stop asking questions, staff temporarily expanded their roles to ensure work could be done, and faculty participated in conversations inside and outside the classroom to connect the incident to broader issues.

Through it all, the Umoja residents stood tall, and the CEC recognizes and applauds their resilience. We all learned to be better allies through this experience.

Just as this process has not ended, neither has our work toward building an inclusive Lehigh. We remain committed to community-building every day. We remain committed to recognizing our differences–within groups, and between groups–and being proud of those differences. Differences don’t have to divide us. Rather, differences can be the very reason why we are connected.

Differences really can make us stronger, if we are willing to take the extra steps to learn about and learn from one another.

There are countless ways for everyone at Lehigh–students, faculty and staff–to contribute to our campus climate. From Africana Studies to Counseling Psychology, the Women’s Center to the Office of Multicultural Affairs, opportunities abound. The CEC is more than happy to point you in the right direction if you’re looking to get involved.

Please feel free to contact any of us directly, or email the group at cec@lehigh.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.