A Message from Vice Provost James L. Moore III

March 12, 2021

A message from James L. Moore III, Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at the Ohio State University.

Vice Provost Moore sent the following message Ohio State's diversity officers on Friday, March, 12th, 2021:

Dear ODI Colleagues and Partners:

Warmest greetings! I hope that you are taking advantage of the recent warm weather to shake off the winter and rejuvenate your spirit.

As we begin to move toward a brighter future, it is important to realize the toll the global pandemic has taken on our society. One troubling trend that we have seen in major American cities is an increase in hate crimes and violence targeting Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi Americans (APIDA) because of the pandemic.

In recent weeks, several shocking videos, depicting violent assaults against Asian-Americans, have emerged on social and other news media. Further, a recent report from the California State University’s Center for the Study of Extremism and Hate found that hate crimes against Asian Americans have spiked by more than 150 percent in the largest American cities last year. Sadly, we are not immune from these incidents in our own region.

I urge everyone to support the APIDA community at The Ohio State University and to speak up if you witness discrimination rooted in racial bigotry against any group. Now is the time to dig deep and find our common humanity as citizens of this world, as we seek to move forward toward a shared destiny of greater inclusion and understanding.

Thank you for the support you provide for the abiding values of greater diversity, equity, and inclusion at The Ohio State University and beyond. As we talk the talk, we must also show that we will walk the walk, both in our lives at this university and elsewhere.