Mitchell Institute Statement on Commitment to Racial Equity Here at the Mitchell Institute, our mission is to increase the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine will aspire to, pursue, and achieve a college education. This is only possible when all people have an equitable chance to thrive, when Black lives are valued, respected, and celebrated. We stand with Black Lives Matter and with those exercising their constitutional right to protest the violence of systemic racism. We stand with our Black community members, family, friends, colleagues, and Mitchell Scholars and Alumni at this time and always.
Racism and inequity negatively influence educational aspirations and outcomes across the U.S., including here in Maine. These outcomes are critical to keep in mind as we simultaneously grapple with the COVID-19 health crisis and the resulting economic fallout—both of which disproportionately affect Black individuals and communities.
We at the Mitchell Institute are committed to working with our community partners to challenge these systems, and to do our part to build racial equity. Today, we recommit to educating ourselves and each other, to holding our communities accountable to their roles in dismantling inequitable systems, and to promoting racial justice within our work.