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Letter From Dr. Chamblee

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Normally, this space is reserved for President M. Roy Wilson and his overview of the latest edition of Warriors.

But as you can see by our cover, we’ve asked President Wilson to weigh in even more than usual this time around, with an extensive interview about an issue that has dominated conversation around the country — and our campus — the past year perhaps more than any other, save COVID-19: race. In a moment when racially charged matters such as health disparities, voting rights and police accountability continue to animate our national dialogue, his perspective couldn’t be timelier (Page 6).

At Wayne State, we center diversity and inclusion as key values in our institution and vital objectives in our organizing and planning efforts. As the university’s chief diversity officer, I’m often tasked with finding ways to express those values and promote those objectives.

And collectively — from administrators and instructors to staff and students — the university community continues to strive to ensure that equity, inclusion and diversity remain embedded in all that we do.

Likewise, this issue of Warriors reflects and underscores those values, from the profile of alumni such as groundbreaking zoologist Michael Reed (Page 10) and inimitable artist Desiree Kelly (Page 14) to the look at the half-century of success enjoyed by the School of Medicine’s Post Baccalaureate Program (Page 17).

Our research also centers these values. To discover how, check out our piece on the critical — and sometimes uncomfortable — work that’s being done by professor Jennifer M. Gómez, who studies the impact of intra-racial trauma (Page 20). Or peruse the story on the African Democracy Project, a 10-year documentary film effort spearheaded by WSU President Emeritus Irvin D. Reid, Ph.D., that is already garnering critical acclaim (Page 22). And be sure to read our issue’s second Q&A, with Dean Sheryl Kubiak (Page 24), whose dedication to social justice has galvanized the WSU School of Social Work.

While this issue takes an unflinching look at some our most dire social challenges, we continue to approach each with hope, determination and a bright vision for our future — and as Warriors, we remain ready to fight for what’s right.

Sincerely,
Marquita Chamblee Signature
Marquita T. Chamblee, Ph.D.
Marquita Chamblee stands at a podium, mid speech