Dear CCD Community,

Both the CCD Student Government Association and the CCCS State Student Advisory Committee have put forth powerful messages of solidarity with the black community condemning racism and police brutality in our country. On behalf of the Inclusive Excellence Leadership Team, we would like to thank SGA and SSAC for their statements and express our full support of Black students, staff, faculty, and community at large. First and foremost:

Black Lives Matter

Black lives matter. We acknowledge that systemic racism is a very real part of the foundation on which this country was built. CCD has been working to be an anti-racist organization in both words and actions. Our wonderful community strives daily to foster an inclusive and equitable environment; however, our work is just beginning. There is much more we can do to make CCD a haven for cultural and intellectual freedom for students, faculty, and staff of color. We take a stand against racism.

In response to the Student Government Association’s call to action, the Community College of Denver and the Inclusive Excellence Leadership Team are committed to working with SGA to achieve their ends. As we see it, these ends include greater student participation in the college’s shared governance model, more people of color in staff and faculty roles, and a deeper commitment to inclusion and cultural competence in our curriculum and in our relationships with students.  We invite any and all community members to share their voices and give us feedback. It is the responsibility of each member of our community to contribute to becoming an anti-racist society. We are committed to progress.

Resources for black students:

• The Counseling Center at CCD provides 8 free sessions per year: 303.352.6436 or learn more at CCD.edu/Counseling
• African Leadership Group
• African American Service Organizations in Denver 

Historically, the oppressed have been given the responsibility to dismantle systemic racism in our society. Now, it is imperative that non-people of color have an equal or greater investment in confronting racism in our daily lives. Below we've listed resources for everyone to get educated.

Anti-Racism Resources:

• Anti-Racism Resources for White People
• Anti-Defamation League  
• Southern Poverty Law Center 
• Color of Change
• Smithsonian National Museum of African American History— Talking About Race
• Educational books on fighting racism 

To Support Black-Owned Denver Businesses:

• 303 Magazine List of Black-owned Businesses in Denver 
• Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce 

How to Safely Protest

• Wired -  How to Protest Safely: What to Bring, What to Do, and What to Avoid

We will continue to add resources.