The coronavirus has brought a great deal of uncertainty to everyone’s lives, along with potential for misinformation that can be harmful or insensitive. With that in mind, TCU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion has launched a “Viruses Don’t Discriminate” web page as part of the university’s coronavirus microsite.
The page provides relevant resources and promotes respect for differences among members of the Frog Family and larger community. It also encourages viewers to avoid the traps of stigma and xenophobia, Aisha Torrey-Sawyer, TCU’s director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives, said.
“During this crisis it is especially critical to uphold our values of inclusivity in the TCU community,” Torrey-Sawyer continued. “This sense of belonging starts with supporting each other—especially those facing bias, discrimination and attacks on their identity.”
Resources include a downloadable fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control, tips on accurate ways to talk about COVID-19 and links to Tarrant County Public Health COVID-19 updates, TCU’s anti-discrimination policy and reporting resources and pertinent articles from The Chronicle of Higher Education, DiversityEdu and other outlets.
In case you missed it, you can also read an April 7 article by Jean Marie Brown, TCU professor of professional practice in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication, on how COVID-19 reporting has the potential to expose systemic inequities in health care and prompt a larger conversation about how society responds to racially aggressive behavior.