Healthy Relationships | Student Wellness

STATEMENT ON RACISM, VIOLENCE AND RECENT EVENTS

STATEMENT ON RACISM, VIOLENCE AND RECENT EVENTS

As a public health based wellbeing office, Student Wellness understands the negative health impacts of racism in our society, and its influence within institutions that serve us. We witness daily the building allostatic load our students, staff and faculty of color are experiencing as a result of the ongoing murder of black citizens like Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Nina Pop, Sean Reed, George Floyd, Tony McDade, and sadly so many more, in our country, all too often through the actions of rogue police brutality and the systems that allow it to continue. We know that any health crisis disproportionally impacts people of color due to centuries of systemic racism in our healthcare, education, real estate, tax, banking, voting, environmental law, and political systems.

We stand directly and unequivocally opposed to all forms of racism and oppression. We stand clearly with and for our black students and colleagues on campus, and see a clear moral and professional imperative to do what we can to right the wrongs of racism. In an effort of creating greater health equity for our most impacted students, we are directly centering the needs of black students in the work we are doing to fulfill our mission of creating a safe, just and equitable environment for all. As well, we are working closely with other members of campus to provide support for our colleagues, while also advancing essential anti-racist efforts.

We are on a current emotional roller coaster which is unprecedented. Yet, as dire as the situation is, we have to maintain Hope and be Hopeful. As a collective body.... Fairness, Justice and Equity is at the core....not only for the names we have recently seen and heard in the news, but in our everyday existence......both for students and as professionals who engage students. Mitigating inequities and injustices is crucial to our physical, mental and emotional well-being. In the words of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice".

If you are a student of color who would like additional support at this time, please reach out to any of our staff listed on this page. If you are a student, staff or faculty who would like to work with us from a health equity perspective as we continue to collaborate with other departments and groups on campus to build upon anti-racism efforts for creating a truly inclusive Carolina For All, please reach out through our main email contact at studentwellness@unc.edu.

Healthy Relationships

Whether it's family, friends, co-workers or a significant other, being in a caring relationship is one of the true joys in life. Student Wellness provides an evidence-based workshop designed to increase your understanding of how to establish and maintain healthy relationships so that your health and well-being can fully benefit from the richness of those relationships.

This workshop will:

Define what it means to be in a healthy relationship
Provide guidance on communicating effectively with a partner
Help you think critically about how the media portrays relationships

Program hosted by Student Wellness. Contact us for more information.