Since June 2020 and the aftermath of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade, several efforts have been underway within UC ANR to make our workplace safer, more equitable, and more welcoming to Black employees. These efforts have included UC ANR's partnership with UC Davis Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program for reporting instances of harassment and discriminatory practices or behaviors, as well as the virtual Black History Month and Juneteenth events that took place this year. Though these efforts have been endorsed and supported by UC ANR higher leadership, the newly recognized Black and Allied Employees affinity group has been spearheading these efforts behind the scenes since 2019.  

Black and Allied Employees, also known as BAE, began as a small group of coworkers – present and past employees – who discussed patterns of anti-Blackness within the UC ANR workplace and what changes could be made to address them. When the uprisings of 2020 began, the group requested a meeting with UC ANR leadership, and began to meet with them on an occasional basis to bring attention to these patterns and to advocate for substantive, systemic changes to make UC ANR a safer and more welcoming environment for Black employees.

The group continues to advocate for accountability, parity, and fair and equitable recruitment, promotion and retention. BAE members also aim to provide a safe space for Black and African Diaspora employees to obtain support around workplace concerns, as well as professional development and growth opportunities.

Since BAE has been formally recognized as an affinity group at UC ANR, the group has been accepting new members. Non-Black allies are welcome to join under the condition that the space remains safe and supportive to Black members. The group currently meets once per month on Friday afternoons.

If you would like to join BAE, please fill out this interest survey. We look forward to connecting with our colleagues throughout the state.

If you have any questions about Black and Allied Employees, feel free to contact Ron Walker at rlwalker@ucanr.edu, Shyra Murrey at smmurrey@ucanr.edu or Esther Mosase at enmosase@ucanr.edu.