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Ulysses Smith leads the staff forum Aug. 16.

Patrick Shanahan/Cornell Marketing Group

Carol James participates in a small group discussion at the staff forum.

About 150 staff members attended an employee forum Aug. 16 to share their perspectives about the Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter movements, and the All Lives Matter hashtag that arose in response to them.

The forum was co-hosted by the Department of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity (DIWD) and the Employee Assembly (EA) and led by staff from DIWD. Ulysses Smith, EA chair and lead diversity and inclusion strategist for DIWD, set the tone by saying the purpose of the forum was not to rehash national events that led to the two movements, but to respectfully explore participants’ experiences and perspectives that inform their responses to these activist movements and to All Lives Matter.

Before participants broke into small groups, Angela Winfield, director of DIWD, described the origins and meanings of the three hashtags. She said #BlackLivesMatter was founded by three black women in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2013, to affirm the validity and contributions of black lives in America. Its mission includes promoting the values of restorative justice, inclusion of all identities within the black community and empathy for those who feel marginalized.

#BlueLivesMatter formed after the shooting of New York City police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjan Liu to honor the work of the nation’s law enforcement officers. Winfield distinguished between the New York City Blue Lives movement – which enlists public aid for police officers and their families – and the national movement, a media company organized by active and retired officers who honor other officers by celebrating their lives and service, but stand in opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement.

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Deputy Chief of Cornell Police David Honan participates in a small group discussion at the staff forum.

#AllLives Matter is not a formal organization, but originally was meant as an ideal to strive for, Winfield said. However, just as the statement “all men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence was written during a time when all men were not actually treated equally, so “All Lives Matter” subsumes and detracts from the messages underlying the “black lives” and “blue lives” movements, she said.

Sherron Brown, administrative assistant for diversity and inclusion programs, drew the audience’s attention to Cornell’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, described in its Open Doors, Open Hearts, and Open Minds statement, which was adopted by the university’s assemblies and Faculty Senate in 2000.

Following small group discussions, participants reported to the larger group. They shared that they were initially uncomfortable talking about these topics, but said  other venues are needed to continue these conversations, especially for those who work with students.

“I don’t know how to talk about these terms or the events that prompted them at work,” was a common refrain. Many agreed that, “It’s difficult but necessary that we continue these conversations.”

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Chad Coates, employee-elected trustee, participates in the staff forum.

Groups agreed that, to make these important conversations easier, “we all individually have a responsibility to listen, engage and be inclusive.” Winfield noted individual and collective responsibility.

“How do we contribute to the climate and create space for others to have this conversation?” she asked.

Smith noted that a similar forum on police and community relations will be held at the communitywide Breaking Bread Sept. 21, 6-8 p.m.

 “I feel validated as a staff member, and validated as a person of color, to see so many members of the staff community come out to take part in this dialogue, even with such short notice,” Smith said of the event. “By offering these spaces as well as other opportunities to develop understandings of our own identities, we really are encouraging a caring community where we all can bring our ‘whole self’ into the workplace.”