Dean’s Column
Welcome to another issue of Mosaics, now in a new and expanded format. We appreciate your thoughts and feedback at sw-mosaics@buffalo.edu.
If there’s one theme I wish to share with you today, it’s this: Stay the course. Amid challenging times, as injustice and questionable practices fill our thoughts and screens, it’s easy to be swayed by distraction. However, we must press onward to champion inclusion, live our values, and uphold the dignity and worth of humankind.
This summer, the nation celebrated the 60th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. “Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice,” King declared during the historic March on Washington in 1963. Since then, we have made great strides as a society toward equity and inclusiveness, but we must also reckon with the fact that King’s dream remains unfulfilled.
People of color still often face prejudice in everyday interactions, and unconscious bias remains embedded in systems throughout American life. These experiences are traumatic and can have a ripple effect. We must continue to bolster our racial and social justice efforts — doing so with special attention on our youth, who are not only our future leaders but our present-day trailblazers as well.
Despite what we see occurring in parts of the country, we cannot erase history or camouflage atrocities. As social workers and citizens, we have a responsibility to nurture our young people through educating them about the past and lighting a pathway forward that uplifts humanity. They deserve to know the facts of history, so that their justice efforts will build on previous ones dedicated to eliminating discrimination and advancing the strengths of diversity.
As you’ll read in our cover story, we are facing a crisis around youth mental health in the United States, and social workers are needed to spread awareness, connect families to critical resources, and change systems from a macro perspective.
It's a daunting task, but one in which I’m confident our alumni, students, faculty, staff and community will play a key role. I’m inspired by the example of recent graduates Jessica Al Kadi and Justine O’Brien, who are profiled in this issue, as well as other alumni who return to the school as mentors and volunteers. I’m also inspired by our faculty and staff, like Susan Green and her team from our Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care, whose work is shifting the culture in several school districts. Likewise, Annahita Ball is making a positive difference through her leadership and research on this issue.
Together, let’s redouble our efforts to best support the youth we serve. More than anything, let’s help one another to stay the course in our quest to fulfill Dr. King’s dream and work for the betterment of society.
In camaraderie and solidarity,
Keith A. Alford, PhD, ACSW
Dean and Professor